The Kerala government has given technical sanction for the first phase of the KSRTC bus terminal at Karikkamury in Kochi

The first phase of the bus terminal complex at Karikkamury will be single storey and have dedicated bus bays, while provision will be made for its vertical expansion at a later stage. | Photo credit: H. VIBHU

The Kerala government has given technical sanction to the Public Works Department (PWD) to execute the first phase of the proposed KSRTC bus terminal at Karikkamury, near the existing bus stand.

“With the ₹13 crore project receiving technical sanction, the PWD is expected to float tenders for its construction in early September,” said an official associated with the project.

The first phase of the bus terminal complex will be single-storey and have dedicated bus bays, with provision for its vertical expansion at a later stage. After awarding the contract, the initial phase of the project is expected to be ready in about a year, a senior KSRTC official said.

The demand to build a new terminal dates back more than two decades as the existing bus terminal premises are prone to waterlogging. The threat remains during heavy rain, even though the ground was raised and the terminal complex was renovated earlier this year.

In a change from the original proposal for an integrated terminal on KSRTC-owned land in Karikkamury, private buses will not be allowed in the proposed terminal (which would be built on 2.90 acres), it has been learnt.

Hibi Eden MP welcomed the granting of technical sanction to the project and hoped that the first phase would be commissioned quickly and professionally. “Special care should be taken to prevent waterlogging and ensure structural stability, as the garage built on the premises from the ₹2 crore MLA fund (when Mr. Eden was Ernakulam MLA) developed cracks even before its inauguration and had to be demolished,” he said.

In addition, care must be taken to make optimal use of the land in the existing bus terminal area, if necessary by replacing the existing old structure with a new one, Mr. Eden added.

Sources attributed the numerous delays in starting work on the project to the original plan to exchange a portion of the KSRTC land at Karikkamury with land of equivalent value at the Vyttila Mobility Hub. The KSRTC had opposed the project saying that a huge investment would be required to build the terminal on the sludgy land at the junction. There was also a difference of opinion as an integrated terminal was being considered at Karikkamurya where both KSRTC and private buses would share the space. Additionally, a proposal to raise ₹12 crore from Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML) also failed to yield the desired results.

Published – 28 Aug 2026 01:26 IST