Sun Jan 12 14:07:14 UTC 2025: ## Coimbatore’s Ambitious Bus Terminus Project Halted Amidst Concerns
**Coimbatore, January 12, 2025** – Construction of a ₹168 crore Integrated Bus Terminus (IBT) in Coimbatore has been indefinitely suspended due to significant infrastructural and health concerns. The project, initiated in 2019 and co-funded by the Coimbatore Corporation and the State Government, was 37% complete before work ceased. ₹52.46 crore had already been spent.
The chosen site on Perur-Chettipalayam Road was deemed unsuitable due to its proximity to a large dump yard, inadequate approach roads (only 17 meters wide), and potential health hazards. Despite these concerns, construction proceeded until the issues were deemed insurmountable. The project is now slated to be repurposed into wholesale vegetable and fruit markets and a lorry parking facility.
K. Kathirmathiyon, Secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, criticized the project’s location, stating that a bus stand requires wider approach roads to ensure efficient operations for at least 40 years.
Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabakaran stated that there is currently no immediate need for a new IBT, citing ongoing upgrades to existing bus stands in Singanallur, Gandhipuram, and Ukkadam, totaling ₹62 crore. Future decisions regarding the IBT will depend on the State government’s assessment. The Corporation is yet to identify an alternative location for the IBT.
First Piper 