THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : In an effort to enhance passenger convenience, the KSRTC has announced the implementation of a numbering system for its buses indicating their respective destinations.
These codes, alongside Malayalam script on display boards, are anticipated to facilitate travel, particularly for those who struggle to read and navigate unfamiliar locations, especially tourists new to the region.
The initial phase will see districts from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod being assigned two-letter district codes. Buses bound for central depots within this range will be designated serial numbers from 1 to 14. For instance, a bus heading to the central depot in Thiruvananthapuram will be labelled as TV-1, while the one bound for Ernakulam will display EK-7 and for Kozhikode, KK-11.
Destination numbers ranging from 15 to 99 will be allocated to other KSRTC depots, while 100 to 199 will be reserved for buses serving civil stations, medical colleges, railway stations, and airports. These numbers will be assigned exclusively to buses operating within a single district. Buses traversing multiple districts will incorporate the respective district code alongside the number. For instance, a bus destined for Thiruvananthapuram International Airport within the district will bear the code 103. If originating from another district, it will display the district destination code (TV) and the international airport code (103). Buses with stops at depots near bypasses will feature additional numbers denoting specific stops. For example, a bus halting at the Ayathil bypass in Kollam will carry the code 2-1, with ‘2’ representing the district code and ‘1’ indicating the bypass stop.
Numbers starting from 400 will be assigned to destinations that don’t come under the aforementioned categories within each district.
Interstate buses to have identity codes
Interstate bus services will feature destination codes representing respective states. For instance, buses bound for Karnataka will display ‘KA’, those heading to Bengaluru will be designated ‘KA 01’