Lucknow: CM dedicates modern, high-tech Alambagh bus terminal to public

Boosting Connectivity: Metro project work will soon commence in Kanpur, Agra and Meerut, says Yogi

Lucknow:Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday dedicated the state-of-the-art Alambagh bus terminal to the public. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, he also said that metro project work would soon begin in Kanpur, Agra and Meerut, while detailed project reports for metro projects in Gorakhpur, Allahabad and Jhansi would be prepared.

State-of-the art bus terminal which was inaugurated by chief minister Yogi Adityanath in Alambagh, Lucknow.(Subhankar Chakraborty/HT Photo)

Linked with metro rail services

The Alambagh bus terminal is also linked with the metro rail services. So, passengers de-boarding at Lucknow who wish to travel into the city have the option of directly taking a metro train without exiting the station complex.

The bus terminal also has some features that have been implemented for the first time in the country. These include the metro train platform being connected to the bus terminal. Air-conditioned waiting hall with direct connectivity to the train platform, a modern information and announcement system, fifty bus bays for smooth functioning and elevators for easy access to various locations are some other highlights of the complex.

“Once it was said that the UP transport corporation would close down. But in the past one year, the department has earned a net profit of ₹122 crore. In the coming days, 21 more bus stations and shelters of the state will be spruced up,” said Yogi before flagging off two buses to the Swaminarayan temple in Chhapaiya via Ayodhya.

The modern, high-tech terminal, constructed at an overall cost of over ₹232 crore, will facilitate regular services from Wednesday, with 395 buses plying from here in the first phase.

As the chief minister pressed the button to inaugurate the terminal, supporters raised slogans.

The lounge for passengers at the Terminal. (Subhankar Chakraborty/HT Photo)

Addressing the gathering, Yogi said that his government had made travel on state-owned buses free for the differently abled, as well as for women and girls on the festival of ‘Raksha Bandhan’. “In all, 85,000 sisters travel for free on that day,” he said, adding that 1.2 lakh kilometres of roads had also been made pothole-free.

23 other bus stations to be built, renovated

While inaugurating the Alambagh bus terminal, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that the UP transport corporation would soon get 23 other bus stations constructed and renovated in various parts of the state. These include Jaloun, Kishunagar, Kasganj, Aligarh, Bulandshahr, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, Ghaziabad, Sant Kabir Nagar, Kannauj, Muzaffarnagar, Pilibhit, Auraiya, Gonda, Ballia, Moradabad, Basti, Hardoi and Baghpat. These terminals are expected to become operational from 2020.

“The transport department now has the challenge of Kumbh 2019 coming up. The department needs to devote itself to cater to the people coming to Kumbh,” said the chief minister, stressing that services for Kumbh 2019 must be provided with accountability.

Elaborating on his government’s other achievements, he that UP, which had ranked 17th in housing in the country, now ranked right at the top with 11 lakh new houses having been built. He also said that 40 lakh electricity connections and 80 lakh toilets had been provided to individuals/ households.

Security check point at the bus terminal. (Subhankar Chakraborty/HT Photo)

The swanky Alambagh bus terminal, spread on an area of about 2,50,000 sq ft, is a public-private partnership project undertaken together by the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) and the Shalimar corporation.

Kunal Seth, director, Shalimar corporation, said, “The transit station complex includes a mega mall, a food court, a gaming zone, a fine dining area, a six-screen multiplex and a world class hotel -- all combined into a comprehensive area to make travelling in Lucknow pleasurable.”

CHARBAGH BUS STATION NEXT?

The Charbagh bus station could be the next in line to get a facelift. Transport officials said that the Charbagh station would also be renovated to include modern facilities, as was done with the Alambagh terminal.