The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Solution lies in effective public transport system

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Friday, Jul 11, 2008
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Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Solution lies in effective public transport system

John L. Paul

Lack of public transport forces people to use own vehicles

Photo: H. Vibhu

DANGEROUS TRIP: Inadequate bus services along the NH 47 bypass and the Vytilla-Aroor highway have resulted in buses being dangerously overloaded with passengers. —

KOCHI: An efficient and well-connected public-transport system goes a long way in solving the commuting problems in cities. Sadly, such a system has been eluding Kochi for the past couple of decades, despite its much-touted benefits.

This has resulted in people venturing into the city in personalised modes of travel like cars and bikes, worsening the traffic snarls. A good share of cars going to the city usually has just one passenger.

The 700-odd private buses ply through routes fixed decades ago, despite residential and commercial areas coming up on the eastern and northern parts of the city. The worst affected are people who have settled on either side of the NH 47 between Edapally and Aroor and those living near the Seaport-Airport road. People can be seen hanging on to the footboards of the few buses on these routes during peak hours.

Regular bus commuters from suburban areas like Tripunithura, Kakkanad, Aluva and West Kochi have to travel through congested city roads to reach any other place in the suburbs, wasting time and money.

Recently, the Kerala State Road Transport Cooperation (KSRTC) took the lead in introducing six buses on the Tripunithura-Aluva route, through the till-now underutilised Airport-Seaport road. “Daily, 36 trips are operated on the route and the service enjoys good patronage since regular bus services from Tripunithura-Aluva pass through the city. We plan to introduce more services,” said G. Jayarajan, District Transport Officer.

For operating more long-distance services through the bypass, the KSRTC must have a proper bus station at Vytilla. The present station master office can hardly hold two people.

Sources in the Regional Transport Office said that the situation would be better if the KSRTC operates at least 50 services (for which permits have been reserved) through routes where public transport has hitherto been less. The proposal made a few years ago to start city bus services by KSRTC has been hanging fire.

Deputy Mayor C.K. Manisankar said that apart from the bypass, the Kundanoor bridge can be put to good use if buses start service from places along the bypass to West Kochi. “The NH 49, Panampilly Nagar, Deshabhimani Road, Pachalam-Pottakuzhi Road, Vennala-Palachuvadu Road, Subhash Chandrabose Road and many side roads too lack adequate number of buses or have no bus services at all. Long-distance buses should be barred entry into the city and diverted along the bypass and Airport-Seaport Road.”

Faulty permit system

As of now, the Motor Vehicles Department is forced to issue permits on routes which bus owners select. This was not the case till 1989, when permits could be issued based on the demand from passengers. The amendment in 1989 to the Central Motor Vehicles Act led to the present situation, a senior official said.

Most bus operators opposed the proposal to reroute buses in Kochi, saying that they will not get enough passengers during afternoon from the bypass and the Airport-Seaport Road. They prefer to operate through congested routes, even while blaming snarls for the delay in reaching the destination.

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