Low-floor bus services begin today

50 buses for Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Wayanad

Seven of the low-floor buses being launched in Kozhikode are air-conditioned. One of them at the KSRTC depot at Pavangad in Kozhikode.— Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

: The long-awaited low-floor bus services will begin in the district on Friday.

Minister for Urban Affairs Manjalamkuzhi Ali will flag off the first fleet of eight buses at a function at Muthalakulam Maidan at 5 p.m.

With this, the State-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will also begin city services.

Four in city

“Four buses will exclusively ply in the city and its suburbs as well as connect to mofussil towns in the district, Calicut International Airport and Calicut University,” K. Mohammed Safarulla, Zonal Manager, KSRTC, told The Hindu on Thursday.

Seven of the buses are air-conditioned.

More buses

The KSRTC plans to expand its operations with more buses joining the fleet in the coming days. About 50 buses have been planned for Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, and Wayanad.

Under JNNURM

The service is being launched under the JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) for improving urban transportation.

Up to 10 p.m.

All the buses will run services from the Pavanad KSRTC depot from early morning up to 10 p.m.

The routes and schedules have been worked out based on commuters’ requirements and convenience such as Kozhikode-Beypore-Medical College-Elathur; Kozhikode-Calicut Airport; Kozhikode-Mukkom; Kozhikode-Balussery-Calicut University; Kozhikode-Tirur; Kozhikode- Palakkad and Kozhikode-Vazhikkadavu, Mr. Safarulla said. The KSRTC services will be on the Kozhikode Railway Station-Calicut Airport sector. Another service will on the Balussery-Calicut University route but connecting Koyilandy on its return trip.

The Kozhikode-Mukkom bus will ply on the eastern side of the district connecting towns such as Thamarassery.

The lone non-AC bus will carry out services in the Kozhikode- Thiruvambady sector.

One bus will operate services linking Beypore , Medical College, Elathur and Kunnamangalam.

The service to Vazhikkadavu in Malappuram district will begin from Kozhikode at 6 a.m. The bus will touch Manjeri and Nilambur towns.

Likewise, the services to Palakkad will link Malappuram and Perintalmanna. The bus will start its journey from Kozhikode at 8.15 a.m. to reach Palakkad at noon.

Its return trip will be at 12. 30 p.m. The Kozhikode-Tirur service will touch Calicut University, Parappanangadi and Tanur.

But it will have a service to Ponnani as well on its second schedule.

Four KSRTC buses to run city services

Project being launched under JNNURM