Sambalpur, Jan. 26: The much-awaited modern bus terminus in the city started operating today.

The bus terminus has been developed in public-private partnership mode over 5.26 acres at Ainthapalli along the NH-6. A private firm, Ashoka Infracore Private Limited, has been entrusted with its operation and management.

The terminus was inaugurated on November 22 last year. But it could not start operations because the local private bus owners' association was against the parking fees that had been fixed by the district administration.

President of Sambalpur Private Bus Owners' Association Subrat Panigrahi said: "The district administration had fixed Rs 60 per trip for each private bus operating from the terminus. However, the bus owners found this amount quite high and this is why we had opposed to the parking fee. We had also moved the high court on the issue. However, the matter has been resolved. The parking fee has been reduced to Rs 35 per day now."

Earlier, though the private bus stand was functional from the same plot at Ainthapalli, it did not have basic amenities. Consequently, passengers faced a lot of problems.

Work on the modern bus terminus began on the land at Ainthapalli after the private bus stand operating there moved to a new location in January 2014. Bhusan Power and Steel Limited, Thelkuli, had been entrusted to develop the modern bus terminus.

The estimated cost of the project was Rs 16 crore.

"Parking facilities for buses and autorickshaws, a multipurpose booking counter, administrative building, kiosks, food court and many more amenities are present for the passengers at the modern bus terminus," said chief executive officer of Ashoka Infracore Private Limited Siddharth Saha.

Thousands of people from across west Odisha come to Sambalpur every day.

Apart from around 350 private buses, many government buses and city buses use the new bus terminus.