KOCHI: The Ernakulam depot of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) netted a record earning of Rs 30 lakh on Saturday, with it conducting long-distance special services across the state.
With train services cancelled services due to the heavy rain that lashed across the state, the Ernakulam and Thevara depots of KSRTC had operated additional services to many districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Palakkad.
"The collection from Friday midnight to Saturday midnight touched Rs 30 lakh. This is far above the target set by the corporation. We could achieve it because the KSRTC stepped in to serve people who were stranded," said District Transport Officer V M Thajudheen Sahib.
According to the DTO, over 100 services were conducted from Ernakulam depot while Thevara depot saw as many as 70 services. More AC services were also conducted.
"The Ernakulam bus station saw a huge crowd stranded after trains were cancelled. The employees and officers stepped in to ensure people got to their destinations. Since services could not be conducted to Idukki and Wayanad because of landslides, we redirected those services to Thiruvananthapuram and other areas. This helped a lot," he said.
Enquiries started pouring in from Friday when the rain gained strength. With an extended holiday weekend (Bakrid on Monday), the stations in the district witnessed huge crowds."We rescheduled trips as per the convenience of people. People should understand the relevance of the public transport system. KSRTC came to the aid of people though the station was inundated and employees, including drivers, suffered a great deal due to the flood," said the DTO.
Special services
More AC services were conducted. Many services to Idukki and Wayanad, the worst hit by floods, were diverted to other parts of the state to help passengers.