Three Ghaziabad bus stations to get ‘airport-like’ facelift in 484 crore project

The state government has invited bids to upgrade and develop three bus ports in Ghaziabad into interchange hubs for other mass transport systems. These ports – Kaushambi, Sahibabad and the old bus stand in Ghaziabad – are among 23 bus stations that will be redeveloped across the state.

Officials of the Uttar Pradesh state road transport corporation (UPSRTC) said bids have been invited to develop the 23 stations on a public-private-partnership (PPP) model and the three stations in Ghaziabad will require an investment of 484 crore. Of this, 261 crore is allocated for the development of the Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT) at Kaushambi, while 161 crore and 62 crore have been allocated for Sahibabad and the old bus stand respectively.

“The bids have been invited for the development of three stations in Ghaziabad. Under the plan, these stations will be developed along the lines of airports and will have all the modern amenities for passengers. These include waiting lounges, modern and well-equipped ticket counters, multiplexes, supermarkets and restaurants. The infrastructure for operation of buses will also be upgraded,” said AK Singh, regional manager of UPSRTC.

The state-run agency operates 878 buses, including high-end Volvo buses in its fleet in Ghaziabad, and the three stations cater to 700 of these buses. The three stations have an officially estimated combined footfall of 30,000-40,000 passengers on a daily basis.

“The bus ports will enhance passengers’ experience with all the modern amenities under one roof. This will also uplift the image of the bus terminals and will also prove to be interchange hub as they are close to other transport modes like Metro stations,” said Singh.

The two stations at ISBT Kaushambi and Sahibabad are located close to the Kaushambi and Vaishali Metro stations as well as the Anand Vihar Metro station. The two stations are also in close proximity to stations of the Regional Rapid Transit System, which is likely to begin passenger operations in March, 2023 over a 17km stretch in Ghaziabad, while the entire 82km route, linking Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut, will begin passenger operations in March 2025.

According to officials, the redevelopment is proposed over an area of 24,284qm at ISBT, Kaushambi while an area of 15,000sqm and 10,036sqm has been proposed for Sahibabad and the old bus stand, respectively.

Once the agencies get selected after the bidding process, the projects will get completed within 30-36 months, officials said.