Commercial capital of Goa, but its bus stand lies in shambles -- By Nisser Dias

Canacona, Cuncolim, Shiroda, Valpoi boasts of very modern bus terminals not only catering to the systematic flow of the traffic in an out of the terminal but also the flow of commuters and the basic amenities and facilities that is a must for bus terminals.

But when it comes to the commercial capital of Goa – Margao, the KTC terminal lies in shambles with no amenities absolutely. It is more of a ramshackle, dilapidated bus shed with a leaking roof, floor messed with cowdung and plastic, lack of space for more than 60,000 commuters using this bustand on daily basis, insufficient sitting space, lack of security personnel, lack of sewage system, no drinking water facility or rest-rooms, the list can go on.

And our government boasts of Goa being a developed state. Margao bus-stand was initially situated in the heart of the city opposite South Goa police headquarters. In a bid to decongest the city it was shifted to the present site more than 40 years back as a temporary measure till the government could build a full-fledged bus-stand.  

In 1979 during the President’s Rule then Governor late Lt. Gen. J F R Jacob seeing the pathetic state of it had ordered the repairs of the roof.

It was in 1980 government led by Pratapsing Rane set-up Kadamba Transport Corporation and this bus stand came to be known as KTC bus-stand. Subsequently the land was acquired and handed over to the Corporation. The fleet of KTC buses grew several fold but the bus-stand continued as it was.

At the moment the terminal caters to more than 60,000 commuters everyday from all over the state. Besides this bus-stand is an arrival and departure terminal for interstate buses from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerela and Chennai.

According Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) Assistant Engineer Civil G P Naik bus terminals should have toilets, drinking water, canteen, bookstall, general store, pharmacy beside other things. Presently all the stalls here sell food items like samosas, wadas, sweet mart items, chips, bottled water and soft drinks. Some sell mobile recharge cards. None of the stalls even sell newspapers or even stationary. Agarwal Samaj opened a counter to provide drinking water but it closed for couple of years now. Sulabh Sauchalaya maintains a toilet which is opposite the shed.

Safety aspect of commuters are also missing, there are no CCTV cameras (one which is there is installed in an ATM booth). There are no police not private security personnel.

Incidentally KTC officials and Transport Department are playing blame games. KTC Assistant Engineer Civil G P Naik said there was proposal to modernize bus-stand but since the corporation comes under the purview of Transport department they have not taken the proposal forward. However Transport department director Sunil Masurkar denies it saying it is KTC land, “they collect the revenue from all the stalls and how can it be ours”. He also said that since he became the director no proposal to modernize the bus-stand has come to him.

Former Chief minister Digambar Kamat says, “I have even laid a foundation for a modern bus-stand and Rajiv Khanna who was built Mathany Saldanha Administrative Complex was selected for his design and GSIDC was supposed to tender it”. “if the current government had not shelved it, KTC would have got huge revenue from it as it was designed to make corporation self sufficient, but today it lies in sorry state”.