Work on the first phase of the new KSRTC bus terminal at Karikkamuri will begin soon
As the plan for an integrated terminal for both KSRTC buses and private buses was scrapped a year ago, only KSRTC buses will be allowed in the proposed new terminal, which is expected to occupy an area of 1.90 acres. | Photo credit: File Photo
Work on the first phase of the proposed new KSRTC bus terminal at Karikkamuri, near the Ernakulam bus stand, is set to begin with the tender being awarded for ₹9.23 crore.
KSRTC entrusted the Public Works Department (PWD) with the execution of the project, following which the state government gave technical sanction in August. The department announced tenders for the construction at the beginning of September.
The project is to be completed within 18 months of the PWD contract with SITCO Associates, which won the bid to construct the first phase of the bus terminal, a senior KSRTC official said.
The first phase of the bus terminal complex is likely to be single-storey, with dedicated bus bays and provision for its vertical expansion at a later stage, it has been revealed. The demand for a new bus terminal dates back more than two decades as the existing bus stand areas were prone to waterlogging even after moderate rains.
The problem persists even during heavy rain, despite the ground being raised and the terminal complex renovated earlier this year. Since the plan for an integrated terminal for both KSRTC buses and private buses was dropped a year ago, only KSRTC buses will be allowed in the proposed new terminal, which is expected to occupy an area of 1.90 acres.
The project ran into trouble at the initial stage after KSRTC decided to back out of a barter arrangement under which it was to be allotted land of equal value in the Vyttila Mobility Hub (VMH) area in return for handing over the Karikkamuri land to the Vyttila Mobility Hub Society (VMHS).
There was also uncertainty about securing adequate funding for the new terminal until it was decided to rely on government funding.
Published – 19 October 2026 07:00 IST