Kerala - Kochi   

Demand for luxury bus services

KOCHI: With private-bus services short on comfort and safety and passengers having to put up with discourteous behaviour from at least some of the crew, there is an increasing demand for running luxury buses also in the city.

The idea is that people who, otherwise, rely on motorbikes and cars to commute will switch over to public transport if luxury buses are introduced, bringing down traffic congestion.

“The possibility of introducing more comfortable buses after introducing amendments to the motor vehicle rules will be taken up at a meeting of RTOs [Regional Transport Officers] scheduled to be held on Friday,” says Deputy Transport Commissioner M.N. Prabhakaran.

Volvo buses are used to run such services in Bangalore, while air-conditioned buses were introduced in Chennai recently. Most cities in the world have buses that are more comfortable and cleaner than ordinary ones. The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation runs low-floor buses, more user-friendly, cleaner and comfortable, in Thiruvananthapuram.

Experts suggest that people-friendly and luxury buses be introduced in Kochi, while starting suburban train services for commuters to neighbouring districts.

The Kerala Motor Vehicles Rules has not sub-classified stage carriages (public-transport buses) into ordinary and luxury buses.

“A booming city like Kochi needs luxury buses, to prevent people from taking out their two-wheelers and cars. The Kerala Motor Vehicle Rules have to be amended, so that a higher fare and other specifications can be fixed for luxury buses to operate in the city,” said a senior official in the Motor Vehicles Department.

The existing city buses are tailor-made for more people to stand and travel. The heavy crowd on board is a reason for people preferring private vehicles.

For introducing luxury services, a separate taxation system should be put in place. Only through an entry-level permit-issuance system can a public-transport system of better quality be made available.

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