To rebuild Marcel bus stand

PANJIM, DEC 20
Marcel will get a new bus stand soon with the Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) all poised to build the same.
“We want to start work on new Marcel bus stand immediately,” KTCL Chairman Deepak Dhavalikar said adding that the bus stand would be constructed at the existing spot.
“We have a huge 10,000 sq metre area at Marcel, which could be utilized to construct bus stand with good facilities,” Dhavalikar said.
The new bus stand would be built at a cost of Rs 3 crore.
Dhavalikar said that the corporation in one year has decided to take major steps to strengthen its infrastructure and also provide better facilities for the commuters.
“Every day, 80,000 people commute by Kadamba. It’s our responsibility to ensure that they are provided good services,” Dhavalikar said.
He said that after the implementation of sixth pay commission, the Corporation has tightened noose around errant drivers and conductors.
“We have increased their working hours from five and half hours to eight hours. There are so many measures taken to ensure that they work properly,” Dhavalikar said.
The Corporation has also decided to introduce five low-floor buses on Panjim-Margao route from this week onwards while order is placed for two Volvo buses to be pressed on Goa-Pune route.
Dhavalikar said that they have got a sanction of 20 buses under centrally sponsored Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme, of which first lot of five buses are being acquired. “It will take more than a month to get rest 15 buses,” he said adding that the buses were acquired only after government released fund of Rs 3.75 crore.
Since last several months, the buses were lying idle at private depots due to the non payments of funds. The central government refused to release funds under JNNURM after KTCL failed to execute certain reforms like having parking and advisory policy for the state, which Goa could not adhere due to its non metropolitan status.
Recently, the state government has also sanctioned Rs one crore for six buses with 39 seat capacity to be run on Panjim and Margao route.
The KTCL currently has a fleet on 390 buses, which caters nearly 80,000 passengers every day.