It was a day like none other for the staff of the public transport network in the city.
Often at the receiving end fairly or unfairly, they were, for a change, celebrated as unsung heroes who kept the vital cog of the public transport network in place, thanks to the second edition of the Kochi Public Transport Day (KPTD) celebrations here on Wednesday.
KPTD, conceived as a year-long campaign, was jointly organised by Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), and the Kochi Corporation to encourage the use of public transport and study the drawbacks in the city’s public transport system.
In keeping with their decision to select a theme for the monthly observation of KPTD, organisers this time around chose to recognise the services of public transport staffers.
Inaugurating the event, A.B. Sabu, chairman, standing committee for welfare, Kochi Corporation, lauded the critical role played by transport staff in delivering quality public service for the city.
‘Reduce pollution’
Speaking on the occasion, KMRL managing director A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish said that promoting public transport and improving its environment would be critical in the days to come.
“Making people sensitive about the danger of increasing number of vehicles and the pollution they create are the only way to make a better tomorrow for the coming generations,” he said.
Medical camp
Around 150 transport staffers attended a free health camp organised with the support of Aster Medcity as part of the campaign at the Vyttila Mobility Hub.
Passengers too expressed their appreciation for public public transport staffers by pinning messages on the bulletin board. The messages were later shared and read out by the staffers.
KPTD supporters wore a blue ribbon to express their solidarity with the initiative.
The third edition of the Kochi Public Transport Day will be organised in March with focus on women and their safety in public transport.
