Central Bus Station, Tiruchirappalli


Central Bus Station, popularly known as Central Bus Stand, is one of the bus terminus of Trichy, other being the Chatram Bus Stand, located near Cantonment.

Overview

Being a major transit point in the central region of the state, and spreading over an area of this terminus is managed by Department of Transport, experiences a heavy traffic of operating about 2,200 buses, for about one lakh passengers every day.

Services

The terminus also handles intercity bus services, express buses, highway buses and sleeper buses at scheduled hours as it serves as transit point for travelling in any direction round the clock. The terminus is well utilised by buses belonging SETC, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and numerous private operators.
It also serves TNSTC's transit buses for Srirangam, Uraiyur,Tiruchchirappalli junction,Tiruchchirappalli Airport,Rockfort, K. K. Nagar, HAPP,Keeranur,TNPL,BIT, Ponmalai, Prattiyur, Manikandam, Edamalaipatti Pudur, Anna university, Chathiram bus stand, Vayalur, Kottapattu, Panchapur, Mannachanallur, Paal pannai, Ariyamangalam, Thuvakudi, NIT, Thuraiyurand Viralimalai just outside the termini on the Rockins road.

Expansion

During 2008, the city corporation acquired about of land belonging to railways for expansion. As a result, the town bus terminus was moved just outside the station to Rockins road with new bus shelters. To accommodate the evergrowing movement of mofussil buses, two additional platforms were extended up to thereby increasing the number of bays from 55 to 77. Also in addition, a multi-storeyed two-wheeler parking lot inside the bus station was constructed. Post expansion, following demands to honour A.S.G. Lourdusamy Pillai, former Chairman of Tiruchi Municipality and father of Adaikalaraj, the name of the bus station was officially to A. S. G. Lourdusamy Pillai Central Bus Station and with certification.

Developments

Due to the strategic location of the termini within the city and the city within the state, it is quite often to witness heavy traffic particularly during festivals. Ever since during the 1990s a proposal for a new integrated bus stand was mooted under the scheme of Integrated Urban Development Programme, small and medium towns. Initially about at Panjappur, near NH 45B was identified, but was dropped citing as flood prone area. Again sites at Devadhanam, Corporation garbage dump at Ariyamangalam and Defence land in Mannarpuram were suggested. For the site at Devadhanam, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board refused to issue a mandatory No Objection certificate due to the proximity of the Cauvery river and a possible pollution in future and so as the farmers and residents of the area opposed the move for same reason and went to court. Yet the defence land at Mannarpuram was favoured due to its proximity to Tiruchirappalli Junction and within the centre of city, but slow response from Ministry of Defence keeps the issue lingering. The fate were same for the site at Ramji Nagar, near NH 45 and Kottapattu, near NH 210. The committee which was constituted by the court in 2006 to find an amicable and consensual decision, composed of officials from Revenue, Town and Country Planning, Corporation, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and the Public Works Department, started the process afresh during mid-2011.

Connections

The terminus is about away from Tiruchirappalli Junction and about from Tiruchirappalli International Airport.