Jaipur: A proposal to establish two new bus stands in Jaipur’s already congested city center has sparked debate among officials, transport operators and residents. The Jaipur Regional Transport Office (RTO) has asked the Jaipur Commissionerate’s traffic wing to conduct a feasibility survey for the proposed locations.The first proposed site spans the stretch between the under-construction IPD Tower at SMS Hospital and Ramniwas Bagh’s south gate on JLN Marg, intended for Agra/Delhi Road-bound buses. The second location, suggested for Tonk Road-bound buses, is the vacant land beneath Bais Godam Puliya. The proposal comes after Lok Parivahan bus associations highlighted their ongoing struggles with terminal access. Despite having route permits for the Sindhi Camp roadways terminal, these buses have allegedly been denied entry. Following the declaration of Narayan Singh Circle as a no-parking zone, these operators have been relocated to Transport Nagar. While the Roadways is using its own space for Agra Road-bound buses and a stretch of Delhi Road for its Delhi Road-bound buses, the private operators are operating from the bus terminal next to Bajri Mandi. KC Sharma, president of a bus operators’ association, emphasised the urgent need for dedicated space. “Currently, our buses are forced to use narrow lanes near Statue Circle for parking. The two proposed locations could resolve these operational challenges,” he stated.The proposal, however, has met with criticism from residents and urban planning experts. Daily commuter Amit Meena pointed out the contradiction in govt policy: “While authorities aim to decentralise bus terminals to reduce congestion, this proposal does the opposite by bringing more traffic to the city center.”Also, bringing Lok Parivahan buses back within the city centre while pushing out Roadways buses on the periphery would tilt the scales against the latter. RTO officials maintain that the proposal is preliminary, while traffic authorities have reserved their comments pending a detailed survey. The outcome of the proposal would significantly impact Jaipur’s urban mobility and traffic management.
