50 new bus stands to come up

BANGALORE: BMTC will soon be building close to 50 new bus stands at various points in the city which will offer state-of-the-art facilities like bus bays, canteen and waiting halls along with commercial space. This was announced by Transport Minister R Ashok at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Mallasandra and Hessaraghatta bus stands in the city on Thursday.Ashok also announced that there is a plan of installing Global Positioning System (GPS) technology with cameras in KSRTC buses which could then operate with two drivers taking turns instead of a driver and a conductor.“There is also the possibility of building a model bus stand which would accommodate BMTC, KSRTC and private buses in Kalasipalya if the BBMP agrees to sell the land to us,” he said adding that the area currently was in a ‘mess’.The bus stand at Mallasandra will be built over an area of 2 acres with an estimated cost of Rs 7 crore while the Hessaraghatta stand will be built on 18 guntas of  land with an estimated cost of Rs 70 lakh.