First it stopped its popular service 3.20 pm Super Express from Ernakulam to Bangalore via the Coimbatore-Salem route which is the shortest route.
Then an abrupt change of route for the 9.15 pm Bangalore Super Express via the narrow Chamravattom bridge route over a week ago. There seems to be a concerted effort by a lobby to help private luxury bus operators conducting daily service to Bangalore, the most in demand sector from here.
“The Super Express service via Salem has not operated for nearly a month for petty reasons like non-availability of drivers. After much protest, it was now been restarted. Now, the route of another Super Express has been changed which increases the journey time by almost two hours,” said an official here.
Earlier, the collection of the service was Rs 40,000 (up and down). “The reserved seats would always be full, but after the route change the bus plies with over half the seats vacant.
This is because the new Chamravattom route is congested and the bus takes an additional two hours,” he said.
KSRTC operates only three buses from Ernakulam to Bangalore (3.20 pm, 8 pm and 9.15 pm) while private bus operators run more than 50 buses per day. Even the Karnataka SRTC has five to six buses plying in the sector daily, reportedly more than allowed.
“They operate two multi-axle buses at Rs 900 per seat and if there is a demand, they operate the old Airavat buses charging Rs 1,102 per seat for which they don’t have the permit,” the official said.
Source: Deccan Chronicle
