A new bus terminal at Kulgaon in Chattogram city is set to open this month.

Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) has constructed the terminal on 8.10 acres of land in the Kulgaon-Baluchara area of Jalalabad Ward to serve 12 routes in northern Chattogram.

Project Director and CCC Superintending Engineer Jashim Uddin told BSS that the main construction work is nearing completion.

“We are now carrying out finishing work, landscaping and beautification. We expect the project to be completed within this month,” he said.

The terminal, built following the existing terminals at Kadamtali and Bahaddarhat, will accommodate both long-distance and intercity buses and trucks, with parking facilities for 160 vehicles.

According to Jashim Uddin, the Chattogram city master plan had allocated 28 acres for a city bus terminal. The CCC has initially developed the 8.10-acre Kulgaon site to serve northern routes, while another terminal for southern Chattogram will be constructed later.

CCC sources said Tk 103.15 crore was allocated for land acquisition for the project. A further Tk 35.87 crore was spent on land development, infrastructure development and yard construction, including Tk 3.37 crore, Tk 7.50 crore and Tk 25 crore respectively.

The new facility will be the third bus terminal in the port city and is expected to become fully operational following its inauguration this month.

A recent site inspection found that the project is in its final stage, with finishing and beautification work underway at the main terminal building.

Once operational, the terminal is expected to benefit a large number of passengers travelling to Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Hathazari, Rangunia and other areas in northern Chattogram. It is also expected to ease traffic congestion in the Oxygen area, a major gateway to the city.

There had previously been no dedicated terminal for buses and trucks operating towards Hathazari, Rangunia, Khagrachhari and Rangamati. As a result, vehicles often stopped along roadsides to pick up and drop off passengers, contributing to traffic congestion.

The CCC launched the construction of the Kulgaon bus-truck terminal to address the problem.

Officials are hopeful that the new terminal will significantly reduce traffic congestion in northern parts of the city.

The first bus terminal in Chattogram was established at Kadamtali in 1966, while the second was opened at Bahaddarhat in 1993.

Although the city bus terminal project was approved in October 2018, various complications delayed its implementation for nearly eight years.

Md Sekandor, a leader of the Rangamati and Khagrachhari Bus Owners’ Association, said around 500 to 600 buses operate daily on the Chattogram-Rangamati highway through Oxygen, serving Rangamati, Khagrachhari and other northern areas.

“Due to the absence of a permanent terminal, buses currently pick up passengers from roadside locations such as Muradpur and Oxygen. This creates difficulties for vehicles operating on other city routes. The new terminal is expected to bring discipline to the northern routes and ease congestion, particularly around Oxygen,” he said.

CCC Chief Engineer Md Anisur Rahman Sohel said several projects, including the Kulgaon-Baluchara Bus Terminal are nearing completion.