THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of its initiative to connect unserviced routes, the KSRTC is planning to launch its Wayanad circular. The new service aims to connect three major routes of the district through circular chain service. It will cover Sulthan Bathery, Kalpetta and Mananthavady.
The new service is part of the Corporation’s strategy to target those routes which are currently serviced by private bus. As part of the revival plan, KSRTC aims to run 80 per cent of the services across the state.
The Corporation has already issued the schedule order.
“The buses will conduct service from 5.30 am to 8.55 pm. The Wayanad circular aims to run 64 buses in 64 different schedules. At present, buses running on these routes did not have fixed schedules,” said Joshy John, Zonal Traffic Officer, KSRTC North Zone.
Currently, private buses conduct services through routes reserved for the Corporation. “The Corporation has decided to cover the routes that are currently covered by the private buses,” said Joshy. Through the circular, the KSRTC aims to increase its fleet and take over its reserved routes, he added.
At present, 23 buses are deployed in Wayanad. Forty-one more buses will reach the respective depots by Monday. Through these services, the Corporation plans to operate 21 buses from Sulthan Bathery, 17 buses from Mananthavady and 26 buses from Kalpetta.
“Though there are separate bus services on these routes, there are no services connecting these three routes. A large number of people travel on these routes. With the commissioning of the service, buses will be available every 20 minutes from the three bus depots,” said a KSRTC unit officer.
The new services will commence by the second week of August. Simultaneous services will be started from three depots. The services will run on a trial basis for 30 days.
The Corporation had taken many initiatives recently to overcome its financial burden. The Wayanad circular will be a move in that direction. In Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, respective state RTCs own 90 per cent of the passenger service buses while the remaining are under private companies.