Another row is brewing at the Vytilla Mobility Hub with the authorities of the international bus terminal planning operations of inter-state private luxury bus services from there. That has triggered a protest from the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and the latter has threatened to withdraw their long-distance buses in this scenario.
The move is part of the revenue generation programme of hub authorities who have already asked transport buses from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to base their operations out of the hub. “The RTA (Regional Transport Authority) has already permitted this. We are trying to have maximum buses operate out of the hub, including luxury private buses so as to generate revenue which would be crucial for expansion works,” sources said.
When contacted, Mobility Hub managing director M Beena said the immediate focus was to shift operations of government buses of neighbouring states to the hub from the Ernakulam depot. “We haven’t yet received applications from the private luxury buses.”
“The move will affect KSRTC badly. Our long-distance services will skip the terminal if private luxury buses start plying from there. However we’re yet to receive a formal notification on this,” a top KSRTC official said.
Source: Deccan Chronicle
