CM Stalin Inaugurates ₹522 Crore Transit Hubs in Trichy, Realising 30-Year Dream

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday opened two big-ticket infrastructure projects in Trichy’s Panjapur: the ₹393 crore Integrated Bus Terminus (IBT) and the ₹129 crore Integrated Truck Terminal. He also laid a foundation stone for a ₹75 crore Periyar Vegetable and Fruit Market.

The new IBT, an air-conditioned complex with contemporary passenger facilities, is a welcome improvement over the city’s congested Central and Chathiram bus stands. The project, almost three decades in the pipeline, seeks to enhance urban transport and inter-regional connectivity.

“IBT is a long-awaited dream for Trichy. The facility should be safeguarded from encroachments to ensure its maintenance,” said Dr M.A. Aleem, a member of the Trichy District Welfare Fund Committee.

The re-deployment of the bus operation to the current terminals to Panjapur will take place in stages, confirmed officials, indicating a need to have ancillary facilities such as restaurants and passenger spaces.

The CM launched 120 new BS-VI standard buses during the inauguration, of which 38 are city buses and 92 mofussil services. Of them, 18 are for Coimbatore and Villupuram divisions, and 34 low-floor city buses are expected for Trichy and Thanjavur next month.

The demand for a new bus terminus started in the 1990s as Trichy’s Central bus stand was facing increasing passenger traffic. After Trichy became a municipal corporation in 1994, the demand increased. Various sites were analyzed over the decades Karur Bypass Road, Devathanam, Ariyamangalam, and Kottapattu—but all were technically unsuitable.

The DMK administration finalized Panjapur as the location in May 2021, initiating the construction process for what has since emerged as the city’s biggest and newest transit centre.

“This is a turning point for Trichy’s public transport. It’s not merely a terminus, but a long-overdue symbol of urban development,” said R. Ponmudi, Managing Director, TNSTC Kumbakonam.