New Delhi
The Delhi transport department has initiated the process of choosing a company for a structural audit of the Maharana Pratap Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) at Kashmere Gate, to assess the feasibility of the facility’s vertical expansion as part of plans to redevelop the city’s oldest and largest interstate bus terminal, officials aware of the matter said.
Officials said the exercise is aimed at evaluating whether additional floors can be added to the existing structure as part of a broader modernisation plan for the terminal, which handles thousands of interstate passengers daily and serves as a key transport hub connecting Delhi with neighbouring states.
“The structural audit is being undertaken to determine the load-bearing capacity and assess possibilities for future expansion and redevelopment works at the ISBT complex,” said a senior transport department official, who did not wish to be named.
Officials with the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC) said the selected agency will conduct a structural audit, prepare a retrofitting design, drawings and detailed estimates for the top slab of the main building at the Kashmere Gate ISBT. The project will also include non-destructive testing (NDT) investigations, in accordance with relevant Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) codes.
The tender document states that the estimated cost of the audit and retrofitting study is ₹11.21 lakh, while the work is to be completed within 30 days from the award of the contract.
“Kashmere Gate ISBT is one of the busiest interstate bus terminals in north India, integrating bus operations with Delhi Metro and nearby railway infrastructure. The terminal, originally redeveloped ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, has witnessed increasing passenger volumes over the years, with a need to increase its capacity while improving commercial facilities for passenger convenience,” the official said.
The redevelopment assessment comes amid the Delhi government’s larger push to modernise interstate bus terminals and convert them into multimodal transit hubs.
Earlier this year, the Delhi government announced plans to redevelop the Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan ISBTs on transit-oriented development models. At Sarai Kale Khan, the proposed redevelopment spread across nearly 36 acres is expected to integrate the ISBT with the Delhi Metro, Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station and the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). Officials said the project will include commercial, office and hospitality components along with upgraded passenger facilities.
Similarly, the Anand Vihar ISBT redevelopment plan aims to create a multimodal transport hub integrating interstate buses, railway services, Metro and RRTS. The proposed facilities include passenger lounges, food courts, travelators, parking infrastructure and commercial spaces as part of the larger revamp strategy.
