With the High Court issuing order to not use the AC low-floor buses, brought under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), for inter-district services, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is planning to launch more services within the Kochi agglomeration area.
However, the State Run RTC is planning to increase the number of services on the most profitable routes from the existing schedule rather than conducting services to new routes.
“We will increase the number of services within the Kochi agglomeration area. At present the most profitable services conducted by the low-floor buses are through the Fort Kochi-Nedumbassery and Ernakulam-Infopark routes. Hence, the number of services through these route will be increased,” said an official with KSRTC.
Meanwhile, the Kochi Corporation has decided to bring it to the attention of the state government the demand for launching more services through the urban routes. The Corporation authorities are of the opinion that the civic body should be given the right to finalise the routes of the buses as it was allotted under JNNURM.
“The funds for the buses are channelised by the Corporation and the buses were allotted to solve the travel woes of the city. The then Government asked KSRTC to opearte the buses as the Special Purpose vehicle (SPV), which is mandatory for managing the JNNURM buses, was not formed at that time. But till then, the KSRTC is taking unilateral decisions on routes and management of these buses,” alleged a top official.
The official said even the routes approved by Kochi Corporation was neglected by the KSRTC. “There is not even a clear time schedule of the buses,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, the KSRTC official said the Corporation authorities have not approached them with any suggestions on routes.
New Indian Express
