In a bid to provide speedier travel to major towns and cities, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Wednesday launched the bypass night rider ‘Minnal’ services.
The services were flagged off by Minister for Transport Thomas Chandy at the KSRTC’s central bus station at Thampanoor here.
Legislator V.S. Sivakumar, councillor Jayalekshmi M.V, KSRTC CMD M.G. Rajamanickam, board members, and officials were present. The maiden service started from the central bus station at 4.30 p.m. to Kasaragod. The bus will stop at Kazhakuttam, Kollam, Alappuzha, municipal stand at Ernakulam, Vytilla hub, Angamaly, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Payannur before reaching Kasaragod at 4 a.m. on Thursday.
The service from Kasaragod will commence at 6.15 p.m. to reach here at 5.45 a.m. The fare in the sector is ₹601.
Limited stops
The services, with limited stops, have fares on a par with the super class services of the transport utility. The KSRTC has deployed 16 buses with push back seats and air suspension for eight schedules it is operating daily.
The longest route of Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod will be covered in 11 hours and 30 minutes.
The KSRTC CMD said the schedules had been planned to reach the destination before the trains running on the route.
“The buses with limited stops will skip KSRTC depots to save time and move along bypasses,” Mr. Rajamanickam said. The service from Kannur will start at 7.30 p.m. to reach the capital at 5.05 a.m. From Thiruvananthapuram, the service will begin at 8.45 p.m. to reach Kannur at 6.15 a.m. The fare is ₹ 501. From Sulthan Bathery, the service will start at 7.45 p.m. to reach here at 5.15 a.m. The bus that starts from here at 6.45 p.m. will reach Sulthan Bathery at 4.05 a.m. The fare is ₹491.
From Mananthavady
The service from Mananthavady will start at 7 p.m. to reach here at 4.25 a.m. The fare is ₹501. The service that starts at 8.30 p.m. from here will go via Kottarakara and Kottayam and reach Mananthavady at 5.40 a.m. The fare is ₹491.
The service from Thiruvananthapuram at 10.45 p.m. will go via Kottarakara and Kottayam to reach Palakkad at 5.15 a.m. The fare is ₹351. From Palakkad, the service will begin at 10.30 p.m. to reach here via Kottarakara and Kottayam at 5 a.m. The fare is ₹ 361.
Another service from Palakkad at 9.30 p.m. will reach here at 4.05 a.m and the fare is ₹361. The service from Thiruvananthapuram at 9.30 p.m. will reach Palakkad at 4.05 a.m. The fare is ₹351.
The service from Munnar at 8 p.m. will reach here at 2.30 a.m. The service from here at 11.15 p.m. will reach Munnar at 5.45 a.m. The fare is ₹361.
The service to Kattapana will start at 10.30 p.m. to reach here at 4.45 a.m. The service that starts at midnight from here will reach Kattapana at 6 a.m. The fare is ₹331.
