On cards along with metro: 7 high-demand bus corridors

On Thursday, a high-powered meeting of Chandigarh, Haryana and Punjab gave the go-ahead to the metro.

The mobility plan also comprises the rail underbridges that have been proposed. (File/Representational)

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Seven “high-demand bus corridors” have been proposed connecting important and busy institutions in Chandigarh under the mass rapid transport system (MRTS) that has been approved by the Chandigarh Administration and Haryana and Punjab governments in order to tackle the traffic situation in the Tricity.

On Thursday, a high-powered meeting of Chandigarh, Haryana and Punjab gave the go-ahead to the metro.

However, to ease out the congestion leading to important institutions so that metro doesn’t uproot entire Chandigarh, “high demand bus corridors” have been proposed. A presentation of the same was given before Haryana and Punjab on Thursday.
UT Adviser Dharam Pal told The Indian Express, “These corridors are the routes which see maximum traffic because people hit these prominent points. So, frequency of bus trips would be increased. Every 10 minutes, there would be a bus with real-time display. This is the system adopted abroad as well.”

He added, “We have also identified other heavy traffic routes where gradually we will be adding mini- buses and have repeated trips every 10 minutes. This is to make it so seamless that people may prefer taking these buses instead of cars or their personal vehicles.”

According to the details, a 12-kilometre high demand bus corridor has been planned from PGI to ISBT, Sector 5, Panchkula, and PGI/Dadumajra to ISBT, Zirakpur, which will be a 17-kilometre stretch. Then, there will be a 19-kilometre bus corridor from ISBT, Sector 17, to ISBT, Kharar, and a 16-kilometre stretch from ISBT, Sector 43, to ISBT, Sector 5, Panchkula.

Also, a bus corridor from ISBT, Sector 87, Mohali, to Mansa Devi Complex, a stretch of 24 kilometres, has been planned. Similarly, a 21-kilometre bus corridor from ISBT, Sector 43, to New Chandigarh, a 21- kilometre stretch, and a 12-kilometre stretch from IBST, Kharar, to ISBT, Zirakpur, have been planned.

Not just this, to have a smart and robust bus transport system, new bus terminals have been proposed in Manimajra, that is Sector 13 of Chandigarh, and ISBT, Sector 87, Mohali. At present, there are bus terminals in Sector 17 and Sector 43, Chandigarh, and Sector 5 in Panchkula.

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Bus depots have been proposed — a CTU depot at Raipur Kalan, Chandigarh, a depot near Khuda Lahora and depot near Dhanas, that is west of Sector 25, Chandigarh.

Freight complexes

According to the presentation that was given before the high-powered committee on Thursday, freight complexes have been planned.

It was stated, “Presently, all goods traffic concentrates at Transport Nagar, Sector 26, Chandigarh. Due to movement of heavy goods vehicles, there is immediate need to decongest the area. New freight complexes have been proposed in Chandigarh and Mohali to segregate the freight and local traffic.”

The new freight complexes proposed are at Daria village, Chandigarh, one near Sector 56, Chandigarh, and one in Sector 103, Mohali.

Rail underbridges

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The mobility plan also comprises the rail underbridges that have been proposed. Three have been proposed — one near railway colony in Sector 13 from Daria road towards Mauli Jagran road, one near Baltana and one near Adarsh Nagar, Sector 13, Chandigarh railway crossing.

Existing rail underbridges are one at the Modern Housing Complex in Sector 13, Chandigarh, one near Vikas Nagar, and one in Industrial Area near CTU depot.

Major travel corridors

Among the major travel corridors identified are Dakshin Marg, that is Secor 25, and Sector 38 to Tribune Chowk, Vikas Marg – Grain Market Chowk to Sector 47, Purv Marg – junction 43 to Sector 66, Madhya Marg from Sector 8 and 18 to Housing Board Chowk etc.

The RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic Service) report found that the share of private vehicles is high at all the key junctions of the city. The agency found that the share of private vehicles varies from 79 per cent to 90 per cent on these points whereas the share of buses is low, that is from 0.4 per cent to 2.6 per cent.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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