Notwithstanding competition among the major players, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation appears to be lethargic towards capturing the market for premium travel in the inter- state service segment.
Most recently, the department has withdrawn its only Volvo AC bus plying on the Bengaluru-Thiruvanthapuram route, citing mechanical reasons.
The unexpected cancellation has thrown into disarray, the travel plans of a large number of Keralite passengers working in Bengaluru.
The flagship service that connects the stations of Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam is one of the few services that enjoys a great demand at all times.
“The regular disruption in services is forcing passengers to stay away from the service,” said Lijo Cheeran Jose, a Bengaluru based IT professional from Kunnamkulam, Thrissur.
He came to know about the cancellation only when he attempted to book a ticket through the operator’s official website.
“The KSRTC should at least put in place, a proper system to announce cancellation and operation of its services,’’ he held.
When contacted, department officials attributed the service cancellation to a mechanical problem and said that it would resume in a few days.
However, officials in the Thiruvanthapuram central bus station said that no date has been fixed to resume the service since the bus is undergoing a ‘thorough’ maintenance check in the Volvo bus yard in Bengaluru.
“We are operating the services with three buses in line and it gets cancelled when at least one bus goes out of service,’’ explained an official.
Though the department has replaced the service with a non-AC super express, passengers do not seem to be keen on traveling in a non-air-conditioned bus during the day.
Source: Deccan Chronicle
