Last week, NBCC India Limited, a central public sector enterprise of the housing and urban affairs ministry, convened a meeting with Delhi's transport minister to finalise designs for multi-level bus parking depots in Vasant Vihar and Hari Nagar - reportedly the first of its kind in India. Read SURFACES REPORTER’s complete report below.
The proposed Hari Nagar Depot will have 6.22 acres and is expected to cost 366.51 crores. It will comprise a basement, ground floor, two upper stories as well as a terrace with 200,000 square feet of commercial space and 389 parking spaces for buses. The hope is that the sale of this commercial area should contribute 390 crores in revenue and 23 crores in net profit.
As for Vasant Vihar Depot, it will take up five acres of land with seven stories - including a terrace, ground level, basement and four extra floors - with 437 bus spaces. The cost estimates may be pruned with design modifications in mind. While the basement of both depots will accommodate vehicles for staff and customers going to the nearby commercial district respectively, the terrace is designated solely for buses.
The Tenders For Construction Are Open
This week's tender opening signals the likely commencement of construction on the Hari Nagar depot in the following two months. The facility will accommodate an impressive 700 buses in each lot.
The Vasant Vihar depot hit a snag after adjustments were required while designing, as the planned commercial spaces had to be removed. While the façade will remain unchanged, officials stated that the intended shop spaces will be replaced by bus parking spots.
The Hari Nagar depot tenders have just been opened, with a contractor expected to be onboard within the coming months to start construction. Additionally, adjustments were made regarding the Vasant Vihar depot, and the process of retendering is underway, according to an NBCC official familiar with the situation.
The construction of both multi-level bus depots was initially intended to be self-sustaining, with substantial commercial spaces and parking areas providing the necessary funds. While the design for Hari Nagar remains unchanged, it has not been possible to employ this model in Vasant Vihar due to the lease agreement with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which stipulates that no commercial space on this property may be used by the government for financial gain.
Currently, 63 bus depots are managed by the transportation department, comprising 23 for cluster buses and 40 for DTC buses. The total number of buses being stored in these stations is 7329, with 4,010 and 3,319 allocated for DTC and cluster buses respectively.
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