Routing trouble for Volvo In Cochin
Posted by Sujith Bhakthan T R at Monday, December 14, 2009
The city will witness the launch of hi-tech Volvo buses before Christmas as the Kochi Corporation and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) have reached a temporary consensus on the routes, but some problems remain unsolved.
The KSRTC and the Corporation have decided to commence service on two routes initially Fort Kochi to Aluva and Aroor to Angamaly. The Fort Kochi-Aluva bus will ply through Thoppumpady and Kundanoor and from there will enter the Bypass towards Aluva. The Aroor-Angamaly buses will go on the bypass and touch Aluva towards Angamaly. In short the premium bus service which was mooted as a solution to the traffic congestion in the city will not even touch city
roads but will ply through the outer areas.The Corporation has forgotten that the project was implemented with the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) aid and is mainly aimed at improving urban infrastructure and transportation.Kochi has been allotted seven low-floor hi-tech buses in the first phase and the entire project covers 200 buses.
The KSRTC officials say that they want the maximum number of routes on city roads. “The KSRTC proposed a route map for buses along the city roads, NH bypass and arterial roads. We want to start services on routes that are technically and economically viable,” said a KSRTC official.
According to the JNNURM guideline, the Central Government will give 50 percent of the total project cost, the State Government will give 30 percent and the Corporation will have to bear 20 percent.“But here it is the KSRTC that is investing 20 percent.
So the Corporation cannot deny us the right to have a say in fixing the routes. We will commence the services before Christmas on the two routes that have already been accepted by the Corporation and the KSRTC. The rest of the routes will be finalised within a month,” he added.Seven buses will start service one after the other on these routes.
But many questions remain unanswered like the number of trips for each bus and fare charges. All that the Mayor and the councillors know is that the minimum charge will be Rs 10.Sources in the KSRTC said that the project has not been too successful in Thiruvananthapuram and that is the main reason for the KSRTC to reject routes suggested by the Corporation.
“In Thiruvananthapuram the KSRTC has fixed six trips a day on a route for a Volvo bus. The operational costs are high and the KSRTC should at least get Rs 36,000 per day from these trips.But currently they are getting only Rs 17,000.
The KSRTC is planning is to reschedule the routes in Thiruvananthapuram.Now the majority of routes are through the outer areas and the revamped routes will cover city roads,” he said.
“The Kochi Corporation authorities want to run the buses on wide roads which have no public transport system, but that is not acceptable to the KSRTC,” the official added. During the meeting held the other day, many differences popped up between the KSRTC and the Corporation authorities about the bus routes.
In the midst of this dissonance Volvo buses will start their hi-tech journey. But the big question is, ‘for whom will the buses roll?’
