BMC floats Rs 1.5k crore tender for transport hub at Mumbai's Dahisar

MUMBAI: The BMC has floated a tender for over Rs 1,481 crore for constructing a transportation and commercial hub at the site of the Dahisar octroi naka. The hub will be built on a 18,604 sq m plot and will accommodate approximately 450 interstate buses and 1,400 cars. Additionally, it will feature recreational and retail spaces, banquet halls, star hotels, as well as areas for app-based cabs and taxis.

According to the BMC's budget document, the primary goal of the hub at Dahisar, and a similar one at Mankhurd, is to provide an integrated bus terminus. This will connect to the city's other transport modes, such as BEST buses and the Metro, while ensuring that intercity and interstate buses terminate at the city's entry points to reduce traffic congestion. A traffic survey was conducted at all five toll nakas in Mumbai to determine the volume of buses entering and exiting the city daily. To maximize the potential of the plot, the BMC plans to develop commercial and office spaces to generate revenue and ensure the project's sustainability.

Following the implementation of GST in 2017, octroi was abolished, freeing up BMC land previously used for octroi collection points and offices. The Dahisar project will be located on a plot along the Western Express Highway, which connects to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway and the Pandurangwadi Interchange Metro Station (Lines 9 and 10). The hub is expected to serve buses from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and northern states.

"A large number of buses from outside the city and various states park across Mumbai's internal roads, contributing to traffic congestion. By creating a dedicated hub, we aim to ensure that these buses terminate there instead of entering the city," explained a BMC official involved in the project.

The BMC is exploring options for smaller bus services or vehicles to transport passengers from the hub to their final destinations in the city.

Harish Pandey, an activist and Dahisar resident, welcomed the initiative, saying, "This is a good idea as it will reduce congestion in the city."

The BMC had previously declined to transfer the Dahisar and Mankhurd octroi naka lands to the Dharavi Redevelopment Authority (DRA). According to documents obtained through an RTI request by activist Sagar Devre, in a letter to the state, BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani explained that the plots were needed for civic projects.

Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Valentine's day wishes, messages and quotes !