By R. Chandra Prakash

A proposal for a new Bus Terminal at Bannimantap has been announced by the KSRTC. As per its public statement, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been sent to government for approval. Even though the  details of DPR is not made public, from the available information one can foresee a disaster in waiting. The proposed Bus Stand is to be located on 14 acres of land carved out of the 65 acres of KSRTC Depot at Bannimantap.

The Terminal will be facing Highway Circle Road (Nelson Mandela Road, also called Bannimantap Road). On its Eastern side, it will be facing heritage Banni Mantap (with Banni Tree) with its Stadium. These two areas will be dissected by existing 12-metre road linking Nelson Mandela Road with Shivarathreeshwara Nagar.  The proposal includes a construction of 15-metre wide road going around on its Western and Northern side  linking Nelson Mandela Road with pre-existing 12-metre road on its Eastern side.

Anticipated Benefits

The KSRTC press release states that “Currently, the rural bus stand, which spreads over four acres of land, is congested. The Division is finding it difficult to operate all its fleet of 2,600 buses on different routes from this bus stand.” It is very simple justification, therefore, that a shift from present four acres to 14 acres will facilitate a very convenient and comfortable area for the KSRTC to operate all its fleet of buses from the proposed new Terminal at Bannimantap. However, it overlooks many vital facts.

Residential & Educational Area

KSRTC’s Divisional Central Offices and Depots are located in MCC Ward No. 8 which has a small spread of only 1.90-km area. This ward has a highly priced and thickly populated residential neighbourhood. It is also surrounded by institutions of higher education such as St. Philomena’s College, Government College, JSS Medical Institutions Complex,  schools, a polytechnic, to mention only a few. This ward is commercially vibrant. It also has a very active industrial area on its Western side adjoining HUDCO Layout.

Congested Roads

The proposed Terminal has its front facing to Nelson Mandela Road. It is a 25-metre road and an important arterial road connecting Eastern and Western side of the city. Both the sides of this main road has thickly populated residential localities, commercial complexes, as also industrial units. Consequently, the current density of traffic on this road is already very high. So much so, even now the entry and exit of KSRTC buses from and to the Depots themselves are facing immense traffic bottlenecks. This is also an accident-prone area.

Further, the road in between proposed Bus Terminal and Banni Mantap is only 12-metre wide. Even if the authorities provide more space between this road and the terminal within its area, the outside width of road itself cannot be extended.

Disaster in Waiting

As per the press release, currently a fleet of only 2,600 buses are operating from Nilgiri-Bengaluru Road Bus Stand. This itself is going to be a very huge number in terms of additional traffic to be generated by the new bus stand. Even if the KSRTC tries to spread the entry and exit on the three roads around it, heavy duty bus traffic is surely going to play havoc in already heavy traffic area.

There is no scope for any further expansion of roads! It does not need an expert to guess what will be the situation in future.

Report of DCT & T Plan

In 2010, a Development of Comprehensive Traffic & Transport Plan (DCT & T Plan) for Mysuru was submitted. While justifying the need for Outer Ring Road (ORR), the Report noted the situation on Bannimantap Road as follows:

The problem was worse, especially near Old RMC and Bannimantap leading to Bangalore Road and pollution caused by automobiles in the city centre was perceived to be higher than in other areas of Mysore. This was corroborated by the findings of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, which pointed out that dust content in the air in the centre was abnormally high. Besides the environmental factor, the Outer Ring Road was also perceived as necessary to improve the intra-city transportation system.

That was 2010, but since then the traffic situation on the road mentioned has multiplied many times and might have over-taken the relief derived from the Outer Ring Road! Rather, as the Outer Ring Road is located not far behind the KSRTC Depot, total pollution in the area mentioned in the above Report might itself have multiplied due to heavy  traffic on ORR!

Let us consider the findings of another Report.

Temporal Study Report

A Temporal Study Report (Vol-1 and Vol-2) was submitted to KSRTC in 2015 by Kimley Horn Consulting and Engineering, New Delhi. The Report was about Monitoring and Evaluation of Deployment of ITS at KSRTC. Its survey stated that the density of traffic at the Fountain Circle and the Columbia Asia Circle (presently Manipal Hospital Circle) was very high. Between 9 am and 9 pm, the traffic was between 2,200 and 2,800 vehicles at the Fountain Circle, and between 1,500 and 1,800 at Columbia (Manipal) Circle. And these figures are nine years old!

Presently, the traffic at Manipal Circle has increased geometrically due to new Access-Controlled Highway between Mysuru and Bengaluru. Substantial part of this traffic goes via Fountain Circle and there is a natural telescopic effect at this junction. So much so, the Traffic Police have been struggling with providing modified traffic movement and control at Manipal Circle, practically every month. Now, a flyover is in the pipeline.

As most of the buses from and to the new bus terminal will have to pass through these two Circles, obviously they are going to be severely congested. Therefore, the overall impact of the proposed new bus stand will not only add to heavy traffic but also heavier pollution in Bannimantap area.

Endangering the Heritage

The KSRTC Depot, where the new Bus Stand is proposed, has an important heritage place,  the Banni Mantap/Tree on its Eastern side. The entire area is named after it. It plays a very important role in the ‘world famous Mysuru Dasara.’ Even before the new terminal comes into operation, there are suggestions that the stadium located in the Banni Mantap compound could be used as an adjoining parking place to support the functioning of new terminal!! It looks as if KSRTC has a never-ending confrontation with the royalty and the heritage of Mysuru!

Let us briefly probe into its history.

1976-78 Confrontation

By 1976-77, the demand for space at K.R. Circle Bus Stand had become very acute. A few years ago,  KSRTC had extended its area on Sayyaji Rao Road, up to Brahmapuri Gate of Mysore Palace.  Now it was contemplating to expand its area of operations beyond Brahmapuri Gate on Sayyaji Rao Road.  That led to agitation from the occupants of the Palace as also the city’s public, as such an act would diminish the heritage value of the Palace itself.

The country was going through Emergency in 1975. Late D. Jayadevaraja Urs (MLA,1972-78) was a very powerful political leader of the time, having close connections both with the Palace and the Chief Minister, late D. Devaraj Urs (1970-77, 78-80). He very strongly objected to any such proposal and directed the KSRTC to find an alternative place for expansion of bus terminal. 

Hunt for a New Location

Salagar, a very soft spoken gentleman and a committed worker, was the Divisional Controller of KSRTC Mysore Division. Having completed the Urban Transport of Mangalore in 1975 for the Institute of Development Studies, University of Mysore, I was researching further on the working of KSRTC and was in constant touch with Salagar. Both of us started to hunt for a suitable place and among other areas People’s Park, abandoned K.R. Mills and even the Bannimantap Bus Depot was considered. But all these locations were dispensed with, for one reason or the other.

Final Choice

It was then that both of us agreed on an abandoned dilapidated government school building with adequate open space on Nilgiri-Bengaluru Road. A Government Horticultural Farm was located adjoining this school on Irwin Road. It was an added attraction for future expansions. The new Sub-urban Bus Stand was established there. To begin with, only  non-stop bus services were operated from here. But in due course of time, more operations of  rural and inter-city buses were shifted to this Bus Stand and K.R. Circle Bus Stand became a City Bus Terminal. This is how any further damage to heritage Palace premises was avoided then. However, the proposal for new Bus Terminal revives the threat to Mysuru’s  another heritage place, now it is at Banni Mantap.

An Ideal Location

It will be wise to locate the proposed new Bus Terminal beyond the ORR on Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway. The ideal location could be somewhere around or near Naganahalli, where the Railways are also planning to establish an intermittent station to reduce the load on City Railway Station.

To facilitate easy mobility of the passengers, it would be advisable to locate the Bus Terminal on either side of the Highway with over-ground or under-ground connectivity. This will facilitate ease on both the onward vehicular traffic and the passenger mobility.

Present ORR can facilitate the outstation buses to avoid entering city boundaries and a faster bus movement. When the flyover at Manipal Hospital junction comes up, their movement will further be smoother. Mere availability of land at Bannimantap KSRTC Depot should not be the deciding factor. Future consequences should be gauged keeping in mind the growth of the city and the resultant traffic density.

KSRTC should come out of its ostrich-like policy making.