KOCHI: While private luxury buses are often hired for marriage trips, the growing popularity of the Budget Tourism Cell initiative of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) shows that the ‘common man’s vehicle’ is increasingly becoming a preferred choice for wedding rides.
A total of 18 KSRTC buses were hired for private marriage trips on Sunday alone, with the corporation raking in around Rs 3 lakh.
It was in Pathanamthitta that the highest number of KSRTC buses were booked on Sunday, an auspicious day for weddings. Here, nine buses, including two AC low-floor buses, became a part of the most memorable moment of the lives of newly-wed couples.
This was closely followed by Alappuzha, where seven buses with floral decorations were hired by private parties for the grand celebration. One bus each was hired in Kollam (Pathanapuram depot) and Thiruvananthapuram (Attingal depot) districts, also on Sunday.
“My wish came true today. I’ve rented out two Fast Passenger buses for the wedding of my son Ananthu, who married Athirambuzha native Sajjaana. The buses becoming part of my son’s marriage lent an altogether different experience. The crew was very co-operative,” said a beaming Uthayappan (59), a native of Cherthala.
“I was a regular user of KSRTC buses. Also, I worked in a PSU until my retirement and wanted to hire the buses of the public entity. My only concern was whether the buses would come on time,” he said with a laugh. “And they did! The floral arrangements were simple. Also, they washed the buses which were neat and clean,” said Uthayappan, who retired as an employee of Autokast Ltd, Cherthala.
While the Fast Passenger buses, with green and yellow paint, are the most hired ones, the AC buses too fit the bill. “Two out of the five buses hired from Pathanamthitta depot were AC low-floor buses. Three buses also operated the wedding trips from Adoor. In Alappuzha district, three buses operated from Mavelikkara, two from Harippad and two from Cherthala,” said a senior BTC official. “The demand is mostly in the central parts. A total of 22 wedding trips were operated from April 21 to September 1,” the official said.
Wedding trips: Harippad’s ‘ordinary’ star among buses
“In fact, five buses were hired from Harippad depot alone on May 5 to operate marriage trips,” the official added.
However, the star among the wedding trip buses is Harippad depot’s Ordinary bus -- RSA 220. Inquiries keep coming for this bus, which is often operated by a married couple -- KSRTC driver Giri Gopinath and his wife and conductor Thara.
This bus also features a music system, LED lights, and other decorations. Customers can hire any type of buses, from Ordinary to Volvo Multi axle buses, from their nearest KSRTC depot.