KSRTC’s plan to build new bus stand at Bannimantap sparks debate

The proposal to shift the KSRTC bus stand from its current location near the city center has sparked debate in recent days.

While the KSRTC plans to construct a new bus stand at Bannimantap, several NGOs like Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP), civil society groups, and individuals have criticised the plan, calling it short-sighted and not adequately addressing the city’s long-term needs.

The NGOs opined that merely relocating the bus stand within the city limits will not solve the main issue of traffic congestion but will only shift it from one place to another.

They requested that the new bus stand should be built beyond the Outer Ring Road (ORR) instead of at Bannimantap.

Such a strategic relocation would ensure that long-distance and intra-district buses do not need to enter the city center, thus alleviating traffic congestion, reducing pollution, and improving overall mobility, they stated.

Another argument that came to the fore during a recent public meeting by the MGP was that locating the bus stand near ORR would also promote better connectivity to surrounding regions making the movement of passengers and goods more efficient.

In contrast, the suggestion made by the Samithi members to build the new bus stand near People’s Park or the government guest house has been dismissed as impractical and detrimental to the city’s green spaces and also as a violation of the law. This proposal would encroach upon valuable lung space, further compromising the city’s environmental balance, according to the NGOs.

While the KSRTC’s plan to shift the bus stand to Bannimantap may offer a temporary solution, the NGOs argue that it fails to address the city’s broader urban planning and sustainability challenges and urge the authorities to prioritise long-term growth and better urban infrastructure.