Chennai: Three months after the new Tiruvallur bus terminus became operational, its commercial spaces remain largely unused despite a daily footfall of around 10,000 passengers. Of the nearly 100 shops planned at the terminus, only five or six have opened.Built by Tiruvallur municipality at a cost of ₹36 crore on 5.5 acres in Vedanginallur, around 2km from the town, the terminus can accommodate 56 buses at a time. It handles 72 MTC services with about 356 trips a day, 61 TNSTC services with nearly 520 trips, and 22 private buses making around 82 trips. The facility also has parking for 400 two-wheelers and 50 cars.Passengers travelling to Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpet, Periyapalayam, Ponneri, Gummidipoondi, Tirupati, Srikalahasti and Bengaluru use the facility. At least ₹50 lakh a month can be generated by fully utilising the commercial area, experts estimate.S Naveen Kumar, a transport infrastructure expert, said the municipality should adopt a phased commercial leasing model, prioritising high-frequency passenger needs such as eateries, pharmacies, convenience stores, drinking-water outlets, ATMs, parcel services and mobile-recharge shops. “The municipality should not treat the shutters simply as rental properties. Shops can be allotted through transparent e-auctions with minimum reserve rents, while a mix of fixed rent and revenue-sharing can be considered for high-turnover businesses,” he said.Resident-activist K Bhaskar said the terminus should support better inter-district connectivity. “Tiruvallur is a district headquarters, but long-distance services remain limited. There is only one daily service to Bengaluru and one SETC service to Tirunelveli,” he said.Despite repeated attempts, Tiruvallur district collector was unavailable for a comment.
