In fact, it will be a matter of days that the old bus stand, where buses bring people from the city outskirts, to the commercial capital, will wind up its operations, to make way for gadda rehabilitation and food court.
PWD Minister and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat on Wednesday confirmed that the government had de-notified the old stand long ago, effectively shifting bus operations to the KTC terminus. He said bus parking at the old stand will soon be barred. “Buses operating from the old bus stand may drop and pick up passengers near the State Bank of India and then proceed to the KTC bus stand. All these years they continued from the old stand despite its de-notification,” Kamat said.
The move is expected to displace private buses operating from the city’s outskirts to the commercial capital, clearing the area for gadda rehabilitation and a proposed food court. The old stand currently serves routes including Margao–Betalbatim–Gonsua, Margao–Raia–Rachol–Loutolim, and Shiroda, according to sources.
An earlier attempt to de-notify the stand in 2009 under a Congress government was shelved after protests from Salcete’s hinterland. With the latest push, officials signal the end of an era for the Old Bus Stand, even as questions remain over last-mile connectivity and commuter convenience once operations wind down.
