Thiruvanathapuram: For the past two years, the Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation (KTDFC) has tried to lease out the commercial space in the bus terminal complex at the central bus stand of the KSRTC at Thampanoor, but most of the shops have remained vacant. In order to fill the complex, KTDFC had to slash the rent rate twice.
Vinod Kumar, Assistant Engineer, KTDFC told Deccan Chronicle that the basic rent for the ground floor in the first tender was Rs 150 per square feet. The rent was then slashed to Rs 135 per square feet. But still there were no takers. Now the government and KTDFC board have approved Rs 110 per square feet. An e-tender has been issued and will be opened on Tuesday. The 12-storied complex was built by KTDFC at a cost of Rs 65 crore on BOT basis on KSRTC land.
Ramachandran, project manager said that the parking lot in the basement and 19 shops out of the 25 on the groundfloor have been rented out. Some of them are not functioning but paying rent, he added. On the first, second and third floors, no shops are functioning. The Fourth to twelfth floors are reserved for office space. There is a proposal to shift the Regional Transport Officers’ office to the complex from the Transport Bhavan of the KSRTC in Fort. “If things work out, an entire floor will be rented out,” Mr Ramachandran said.
Most of the shops in the first floor complex are selling food. Apart from that, there are three lottery shops and two small textile shops on the floor. “Once the theatre on the third floor starts functioning we would have more business”, said a bakery owner in the complex. “There is a plan to build a skyway connecting the railway station and bus terminal. Then there would be more takers for space on the first floor”, he added.
