KOCHI: The Kerala State Road Transportation Corporation (KSRTC) will start shuttle services to Kalamassery Medical College Hospital (MCH) from January 8, 2022. The services are aimed at ending long delays in reaching MCH from HMT Junction. The service will run from 7am to 3pm with a ticket price of Rs 10. The decision was taken after a meeting between Industries Minister P Rajeeve, Transport Minister Antony Raju and transport department officials here on Saturday.
Antony, a former student of Kalamassery Higher Secondary School, said KSRTC would resume 40 services in the Kalamassery area on January 20, 2022. These were halted due to the pandemic. The meeting also discussed setting up a ticket reservation centre at Kalamassery. The minister said that discussions are ongoing to set up Thiruvananthapuram-model city circular services at Kalamassery. Such a service will run with a 10-minute interval.
“The transport officials are instructed to prepare a report in this regard, after conducting a detailed study. The officials were asked to submit the report by January. After the report, further discussions will be held to start the service,” he added. Antony said the Mattupuram-Paravur bus service will start on January 1. Rajeeve said the district needs 15 new buses urgently. Of these, five buses will be handed over soon. and 12 drivers and 12 conductors will be assigned to run these services.
Industries minister urged KSRTC to bond services for employees working in the industrial belt in the area. He said the superfast service on the Aluva-Kalamassery-Tripunithura-Kottayam route should also be considered. “Bus services suspended on the Aluva-Medical College route should be resumed and new services should be started connecting Kalamassery and the Medical College,” said Rajeeve.