Dec. 23: The Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) near Lokhra, which is likely to become operational next March, is set to change the face of Paltan Bazar, Guwahati?s business and transit hub.

Traffic congestion is likely to be drastically reduced, particularly in the arterial GS Road. It is also hoped the crime rate will fall sharply.

The Rs 20-crore ISBT is being funded by the North Eastern Council (NEC). Once it is thrown open, all long- and short-distance buses, which now originate and terminate at Paltan Bazar, will shift to Lokhra.

The large number of private bus terminuses at Paltan Bazar spawns traffic snarls regularly.

Apart from GS Road, the ISBT will also ease vehicular pressure on many other feeder roads as long-distance buses will not be allowed to enter the city. As it is, the Assam State Transport Corporation is headquartered in Paltan Bazar as well as several private bus terminuses.

While the state-run ASTC operates around 300 long-distance buses everyday, private operators ply another 400. That is why the transport department contends that by shifting buses to the ISBT, the overall impact on traffic movement, particularly on GS Road and some feeder roads, would be very positive.

?This is vital for the city?s future as GS Road would only become busier by the day, with shopping centres and office complexes coming up,? an official pointed out. ?Besides, Paltan Bazar could get a more upmarket look. Right now, certain sections of customers avoid the area.?

Joint secretary (transport) R.C. Jain said the ISBT would not only transform the traffic profile of the city, but also help it emerge as an important tourist destination. The reasons: its innovative architectural design and the facilities slated to come up at Lokhra.

Because of the large ?floating population? in Paltan Bazar, the locality has also become a high-crime zone: happy hunting grounds for pickpockets, snatchers, prostitutes and even killers. As a senior police official pointed out, ?the lower the floating population in Paltan Bazar, the fewer will be the number of crimes?.

Lokhra, on the other hand, stands to gain as the ISBT is expected to magnetise business to the locality. But traders and owners of the small restaurants that line GS Road at Paltan Bazar are unanimous that their business will suffer.

On December 13, the state transport department wrote to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, and the Assam Institute of Management (AIM), Chandmari, to conduct a study and outline suggestions to check any adverse impact on Paltan Bazar?s traffic flows and businesses once the Lokhra ISBT becomes operational.

Jain confirmed that professional help has been sought. ?The study by such respected institutions will suggest how best we can run the ISBT and help Paltan Bazar cope best with the impending changes.?

The study was necessitated following apprehensions among Paltan Bazar?s traders that shifting all long-distance buses to the ISBT might ultimately add to the chaos on the roads. Those in the hospitality and transport sector feel the Lokhra terminus should initially have only buses from outside the state while entry timings of intra-state buses should be restricted.