Uniform infra for jetty, bus stands for smoother travel

Kolkata: In a bid to streamline the public commute system in the city and rest of Bengal and offer seamless connectivity between road and water transport, the state transport department has released a set of guidelines to standardise the construction and location of bus stands, termini and jetties.
With the standardized framework, the govt aimed at enhancing the quality and efficiency of public transport services while ensuring sustainable development of the water transport infrastructure, which would lead to overall socio-economic growth, an official said.The step was taken in response to the erratic, and often, substandard infrastructure, which sometimes followed varying demands for local agencies’ implementations, such as civic bodies, local representatives or panchayats, said an order issued by the transport department secretary, Saumitra Mohan.

Bus stands and jetties often lack essential amenities and fail to ensure smooth movement of buses or ferries, leading to inconvenience to commuters and bottlenecks for road or waterway users. The aim of the standardized designs was to rectify the shortcomings and pave the way for betterment of the transport sector, including provisions for charging facilities to fuel e-buses and e-vessels, an official said. The basic amenities planned at these facilities include drinking water, separate toilets for men and women, a room for the crew, a shelter for commuters and a mother-and-child room. The proposal for a jetty and bus stand or terminus must include a map, indicating the longitude and latitude of the place, a photograph of the place, its proximity to a state or national highway and the geographical and historical importance of the place.
The govt has also outlined a checklist, including feasibility studies, land ownership details, project components, financial viability, and operation maintenance plans, for the proposal and implementation of water transport infrastructure in different regions of Bengal. The checklist also mandates obtaining approvals and clearances from relevant authorities, such as the state pollution control board, Coastal Zone Management Authority, Block Land & Land Revenue Office, Kolkata Port Trust and environmental and maritime agencies, to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.