Shifting of the remaining 400 buses towards Ambala, Haridwar, Delhi and other parts of Haryana was due in December last. “Unless the basic supporting infrastructure is provided, shifting has to be stalled. Out of the total 15 bays to be constructed for the 400 buses, eight will be complete within a week but the remaining will take time. A feasibility study for underground parking will be conducted but before that, the issue of surface parking needs to be addressed,” said Secretary (Transport) Ram Niwas. He has also directed Chief Engineer Krishanjit Singh to issue tender notices for surface parking at the earliest and get the work completed by March 31.

At present, of the 1,800 buses, 1,400 are plying from ISBT-43. In the first phase of shifting, 430 buses operating day and night between Ludhiana, Ropar, Sirhind and Himachal Pradesh were shifted on January 15, 2008. During the second phase, 600 more buses towards Patiala, Nalagarh, Panchkula, Kalka and Shimla were shifted on May 1, 2008.

In a meeting chaired by Niwas, Chief Engineer Krishanjit Singh was asked to examine the issue of an underground parking and conduct a viability study, whether to undertake the conventional parking mode or mechanical parking mode.

Niwas also stressed that ISBT-43 should be aesthetically designed in compliance with international standards.

“Aesthetic signs, guide maps and security instructions will be installed to guide the general public,” he added. Regarding the display of advertisements at various sites at ISBT-43, Niwas asked Chief Architect Sumit Kaur to submit a proposal on the selection of spaces, size and modes of display.

The transport secretary further directed Director Health Services, Dr M S Bains to submit a proposal for outsourcing staff in the emergency medical room. Keeping in view the security angle, Niwas has asked Director (Transport) Capt P S Shergill to propose the minimum requirement of CCTV cameras to be installed at ISBT-43.