Commuting by public transport is all set to change with the State-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) planning to introduce low-floor buses in Kozhikode, Wayanad, and Malappuram districts.
Nearly 100 buses will be allotted to three districts under the JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) for improving urban transportation.
“Of this, 30 will be AC and the remaining non-AC buses. Modalities have been worked out to launch the services from March,” K. Mohammed Safarulla, Zonal Manager, KSRTC, told The Hindu here on Saturday.
Low- floor buses had been successfully carrying out services in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram cities, he said. The State government had already requested about 1,000 buses, and 400 of them have been delivered to ply in these two cities.
Another 400 buses would be allotted to north Kerala. There would be three clusters for operating the services: Kozhikode- Malappuram-Wayanad, Kasaragod- Kannur and Thrissur – Palakkad. With the introduction of the low-floor buses, the KSRTC would start its city services in Kozhikode. At present, commuters were depending on private carriers, he said.
Comfortable travel
The AC-low floor buses were designed for comfortable travel exclusively in cities.
But suggestions had been made to the KSRTC to introduce town-to-town services connecting districts, especially Wayanad, to enhance the tourism sector.
The non-AC buses would be inducted into the fleet only in the second phase. Mr. Safarulla said services would be conducted mainly from Kozhikode railway station, Calicut airport, Kozhikode medical college, and Beypore to Calicut University, National Institute of Technology, Elathur, Kappad, Koyilandy, Mukkom, Koduvally, and Balussery.
At least five services would be conducted between Calicut airport and Kozhikode city on a daily basis. “Of course, the tariff will be a little high considering the facilities offered to the commuters,” he said.
Selected drivers would be imparted training at the Volvo Training Centre in Bangalore this month.
Travelling in low-entry buses is altogether a different experience for the passengers and the driver alike.
It is both comfortable and safe. The low-entry at the front and in the middle helps to get on and off, even for passengers who are physically challenged.
The KSRTC had hopes that low-floor buses would encourage thousands of private car users to move to public modes of transport, Mr. Safarulla said.
