Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus

Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus
Main facade of the CMBT
Station statistics
Address	Inner Ring Road, Koyambedu, Chennai
Coordinates	13°04′03″N 80°12′20″E / 13.06745°N 80.20566°E / 13.06745; 80.20566Coordinates: 13°04′03″N 80°12′20″E / 13.06745°N 80.20566°E / 13.06745; 80.20566
Connections	Koyambedu Metro Station (Under construction)
Platforms	6
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Baggage check	Yes
Other information
Opened	2002
Accessible
Owned by	CMDA

See also: Chennai Contract Carriage Bus Terminus

The Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus or CMBT (Tamil: சென்னை புறநகர் பேருந்து நிலையம்) is a modern, state-of-the-art bus terminus located in Chennai, India catering to outstation buses. Spread over an area of 37 acres (150,000 m²) in Koyambedu, it is the largest bus terminus in Asia^[1] and is accredited with the ISO 9001:2000 quality certification for its quality management and excellence.^[1] It is located on the 100 feet (30 m) inner ring road (Jawaharlal Nehru Road) in Koyambedu between SAF Games Village and the Koyambedu Vegetable Market. Chennai Metro Rail is planning for its coach depot behind CMBT.

Construction

The CMBT foundation stone was laid by the then Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi on 6 June 1999. The CMBT was planned and built by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority at a cost of  1,030 million^[2] and inaugurated on 18 November 2002 by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J.Jayalalitha.^[3]

Service

The CMBT, the terminus for all intercity bus services from Chennai, is the largest bus station in Asia

The terminus has 6 platforms in 3 bus fingers with 180 bus bays. It also has an idle parking area for 60 buses and can simultaneously station 270 buses at any given time. Being the most important entry-exit point of the city, the terminus has a capacity to handle over 2,000 buses and 200,000 passengers a day.^[2] The terminus currently handles more than 500 buses at a time, and 3,000 buses and 250,000 passengers a day.^[4] The 36.5-acre (148,000 m²) bus terminus has an 17,840 sq ft (1,657 m²) waiting facility for passengers, a 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m²) parking space for auto rickshaws, cabs and private cars, and 16,000 sq ft (1,500 m²) parking space for two-wheelers.^[2] The amenities provided in the terminus include 3 hotels and 3 smaller eateries inside the terminus, 3 locker rooms, 10 travel agency offices, shops, supermarkets, ATMs, dorm rooms (A/C and non-A/C) for rent, toilets, round-the-clock security, pure drinking water free of cost facilitated by a reverse-osmosis treatment plant, a 24-hour pharmacy, and first-aid facilities and medical assistance. Wheel chairs are provided for the physically disabled.

It has been estimated that over 500,000 footfalls per day is being recorded at CMBT and over 4,800 buses ply in and out of CMBT including intra-city and mofussil buses.

Parking

Around 1,500 to 2,000 two-wheelers and 60 cars are parked on the premises of the bus terminus.^[5] A two-level underground two-wheeler parking lot was mooted in 2008 to decongest the entrance for the buses, which jostle for space with two-wheelers and cars. Initially the project cost was estimated at 90 million. The underground parking project was taken up based on a study that estimated that the number of motorcycles parked there would increased to 3,000 a day in the future. Work on the 6,000-sq.m project began in January 2009 and was completed in August 2010 at a cost of 170 million. The parking facility was inaugurated on 26 December 2010 by the then Deputy Chief Minister M.K.Stalin.^[6] This is the first-of-its-kind facility in the city, built by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority on a vacant land on the premises of the bus terminus abutting the Inner Ring Road, and the two parking levels, each measuring 3,000 sq.m and with a capacity of 1,500 vehicles, can accommodate a total of 3,000 two-wheelers at depths of 10 feet (3.0 m) and 20 feet (6.1 m), respectively. It has two ramps and three staircases. A fire-fighting system and surveillance cameras with monitor have been installed. The roof of the parking lot has been developed as a garden and has been provided with a sprinkler irrigation system, a pedestrian pathway and a fountain.^[7][8]

Advertising at the terminus

CMBT is one of the largest outdoor advertising medium at Chennai. With hoarding and billboards being scrapped by the Supreme Court, CMBT is one of the entry–exit point of Chennai, along with the airport and the railway station, to have legalised advertising rights, and it contains over 100,000 square feet (9,300 m²) of display space to marketers to target various target segment. CMDA has currently awarded the advertising rights to Sasi Advertising Pvt Limited for a period of 3 years at CMBT.

Other facilities

In June 2009, the Chennai City Police opened a "child friendly centre" at the bus terminus to serve as a help booth for lost and wandering children and victims of child abuse.^[9]

The future

Chennai Metro Rail is constructing an elevated Metro railway station inside the bus terminus.^[10]

A 1-km long and 11-m wide flyover with three lanes in the Kaliamman Koil Street-Jawaharlal Nehru Salai junction is under consideration at an estimated cost of 500 million. The junction near Kaliamman Koil Street, which links Koyambedu with Virugambakkam, witnesses a traffic volume of 18,000 passenger car units per hour.^[11]

Satellite mofussil bus termini will be set up in Velachery and Madhavaram to ease traffic congestion in the city. Over 300 mofussil buses passing through East Coast Road and Rajiv Gandhi Salai, including those to Puducherry, are likely to be accommodated in the Velachery facility. Buses passing through the Grand Northern Trunk Road are likely to be accommodated in the terminus at Madhavaram. Andhra-bound buses would be operated from the Madhavaram terminus. The satellite mofussil bus termini would have facilities similar to that of CMBT. A terminal hall, bus bays, large office space, shops, crew rest rooms and other incidental structures would be constructed. The Madhavaram terminus would cover about 8 acres and could handle 200 buses per day. The Velachery terminus would cover about 12 acres and could handle over 300 buses a day.^[12]

See also

• Chennai Contract Carriage Bus Terminus
• Chennai Central

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Dorairaj, S. (28 December 2005). "Koyambedu bus terminus gets ISO certification". The Hindu (Chennai: The Hindu). http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/28/stories/2005122816740400.htm. Retrieved 16-Oct-2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Jayalalithaa inaugurates new bus terminus in Chennai". The Hindu Business Line (Chennai: The Hindu). 19 November 2002. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2002/11/19/stories/2002111901991700.htm. Retrieved 16-Oct-2011. 
3. ^ "Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminal (CMBT)". CMDA. http://www.cmdachennai.gov.in/chennai_mufussil_bus_terminus(cmbt).html. Retrieved 16-Oct-2011. 
4. ^ "Bus terminus chokes under rush". The Times of India (Chennai: The Times of India). 13 January 2010. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-01-13/chennai/28123123_1_buses-cmbt-state-express-transport-corporation. Retrieved 16-Oct-2011. 
5. ^ "Underground parking at CMBT by March". The Times of India (Chennai: The Times of India). 19 January 2010. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-01-19/chennai/28120994_1_underground-parking-parking-facility-wheelers. Retrieved 16-Oct-2011. 
6. ^ "Underground parking inaugurated". The Times of India (Chennai: The Times of India). 27 December 2010. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Underground-parking-inaugurated/articleshow/7169401.cms. Retrieved 16-Oct-2011. 
7. ^ "Underground parking facility at Koyambedu awaits inauguration". The Times of India (Chennai: The Times of India). 8 December 2010. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Underground-parking-facility-at-Koyambedu-awaits-inauguration/articleshow/7062360.cms. Retrieved 16-Oct-2011. 
8. ^ Sujatha, R. (27 December 2010). "Two-wheeler parking lot opened at Koyambedu bus terminus". The Hindu (Chennai: The Hindu). http://hindu.com/2010/12/27/stories/2010122760120200.htm. Retrieved 16-Oct-2011. 
9. ^ "Child help centre at Koyambedu bus terminus". The Hindu (Chennai: The Hindu). 29 June 2007. http://www.hindu.com/2007/06/29/stories/2007062958310300.htm. Retrieved 16-Oct-2011. 
10. ^ "Elevated metro stations to come up at 10 places". The Times of India (Chennai: The Times of India). 29 June 2010. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-06-29/chennai/28292533_1_chennai-metro-rail-underground-stations-and-tunnels-washermanpet. Retrieved 16-Oct-2011. 
11. ^ Lakshmi, K. (21 July 2011). "Flyover near Koyambedu bus terminus proposed". The Hindu (Chennai: The Hindu). http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article2279229.ece. Retrieved 16-Oct-2011. 
12. ^ Lopez, Aloysius Xavier (6 August 2011). "Two satellite mofussil bus termini planned". The Hindu (Chennai: The Hindu). http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article2328730.ece. Retrieved 16-Oct-2011. 

External links

• Chennai CMBT article from The Hindu