Bus stand facility for railway passengers remains idle

A bus stand facility put in place by the Konkan Railway Corporation at the Margao railway junction premises to ferry train passengers alighting at Margao has gone abegging for want of KTC buses.

In fact, the bus stand facility put in place with funds from the Union Tourism Ministry to provide tourism-related amenities at the Margao railway station has remained idle since the KTC management has not resumed operation of the bus service.

With around 50 passengers trains chugging at the Margao railway station on average per day, bringing hundreds of passengers to city, there’s no bus service from the railway station to the Margao bus stand to ferry passengers intended to travel to the North or down south.

In fact, if railway officials are to be believed, it’s now over six months that the bus stand facility has been put in place at the Margao railway station, but has not been operated for want of buses. 

KRC senior Public Relation Officer, Baban Ghatge pointed out that the KTC had provided bus service to the train passengers from the Margao railway station to the KTC bus stand. He, however, lamented that the bus service has not resumed after the COVID pandemic, putting the rail passengers to great hardships. 

“The common man used to travel by the  KTC bus service from the railway to the Margao KTC bus stand to head to their respective destinations. This bus service has been discontinued after the COVID pandemic”, Ghatge said, even as he expressed the hope that the Goa government and the KTC will resume the bus service in the interest of the common rail passengers.

Meanwhile, Ghatge informed that the work is in full swing to build the multi-level parking lot at the Margao railway station. He said the bus stand and the parking lot project are being executed at the Margao railway station with central funds to boost tourism related amenities for the travelling passengers.