Date:12/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/12/stories/2008101258450200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Truck terminal proposed at Batasingaram

HYDERABAD: To do away with the erratic parking of the heavy vehicles that criss-cross the city for various destinations, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is planning to come out with a Truck Terminal at Batasingaram on Vijayawada Highway.

The terminal is to come up on Public Private Partnership (PPP) and conceptual plans are expected to be ready soon.

Once the plans are ready and necessary approvals are provided, the facility is proposed on a site that could be spread over 100 acre and tenders called for it.

The HMDA had initially proposed a terminal at Peddashapur also, but the idea has been shelved for want of a contiguous plot of the required size there.

“We need an approximate site of 100 acre along highway for the kind of amenities that are required for a truck terminal and since it is not available at Peddashapur, we are looking at Batasingaram to set it up,” informs Vivek Deshmukh, HMDA Chief Engineer.

The terminal could be important given the work in progress for the 162 km long Outer Ring Road.

For the proposed facility, presentations have already been made and the experts have promised to prepare conceptual plans.

The Truck Terminal with parking lots and dry docks along the ORR propose to provide integrated facilities of high way transport functions such as truck parking facility, transit and transhipment facilities for goods and trucks, communication and networking.

Amenities and facilities to crew, transport agency offices, vehicles repairs and maintenance and related activities apart it is to act as logistics centre for goods warehousing, inter-modal transport, container transport and freight forwarding services.

The HMDA propose to provide the land to successful developer i.e., bidder on a long term lease. It looks at reputed national and international companies to participate in the project development assigning it the responsibility of planning, designing, and financing, construction including onsite infrastructure, amenities and facilities.