Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will inaugurate Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bus Terminal at Baramunda in Odisha capital at 5.45 pm on Friday.
Spread across 15.5 acres and built at a cost of Rs 180 crore, the ISBT is set to be an important transit hub not only for the residents of the state but also for people of neighbouring states.
The bus terminus will cater to 30,000 passengers and 700-800 buses daily while offering a range of passenger amenities, office spaces, parking facilities, food courts, restaurants and commercial areas. It is equipped with modern amenities such as multi-storey car parking, pick-up/drop-off facility and sewage treatment plant. The whole terminal will be run by solar power.
Subsidised cooked meal will also be served at the state-of-the-art Aahaar Centre.
There is also a police facilitation centre to ensure the safety of passengers, administrative building for managing the terminal operations, ramp facilities for the convenience of passengers with disabilities, and baby feeding rooms for mothers travelling with infants. There will also be children’s play area, a primary health clinic and additional parking for seasonal buses.
A 900 square feet Ambedkar Gallery, showcasing the life and ideals of the Dalit icon along with some of his belongings, will a special attraction here.
For the convenience of passengers and ease of travel, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has made Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) card mandatory for all the buses using the ISBT. RFID readers will be installed at the entry and exit points of the terminal as well as the bus bays. The passengers can track the real-time location of the buses from the RFID.
The passengers can also get information about arrival and departure of their buses from airport-like information system. At least 10 LED systems have been installed at different places, including the waiting area of the terminal to display the information.
The authorities have also decided to start prepaid auto-rickshaw services from the terminal. A dedicated parking space has also been set up for vendors.
