KOCHI: In a strategy that makes no monetary sense, loss-making KSRTC has been terminating profitable services from Ernakulam and diverting them to other depots.
The public entity has now discontinued two profitable routes from Ernakulam: The Coimbatore bypass rider (super fast) and Kanyakumari (super fast). These services will now originate from Pathanapuram depot. The vehicles and crew have already been shifted. The move comes on the back of the operation of the Ernakulam-Mookambika super deluxe service being transferred to Alappuzha depot.
Discontinuation of the Coimbatore (starting at 11.20am) and Kanyakumari (7pm) services comes even as Ernakulam depot was directed to resume operation of the Erattupetta service (5.30pm) from Friday. The same was terminated due to low revenue collection.
There are no other services to the respective destinations in their time slots. “Only two buses operate on the interstate Kanyakumari route — one at 2.30pm and the other at 7pm. The second service — via Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram — has been in operation for the past many years and many commuters depended on it. Unfortunately, it’s being shifted,” sources said.
There are no services for Thiruvananthapuram from Ernakulam till late night, after the Nedumangad service at 3pm. The Coimbatore bypass rider was in demand as it cut on travel time by skipping Aluva and Thrissur stops. The next service to Coimbatore from Ernakulam was only at 1.20pm (Coimbatore-Tirupur LSFP). The return service of the bypass rider (5.30pm) was also a passenger favourite.
Services are rescheduled and reallotted only when trip collections are poor. “The Kanyakumari service used to generate from Rs 25,000-30,000 per trip when it was open to reservation. Then it was taken out of the category of buses with reservation facility and the service was disrupted several times over the past three months. The Coimbatore bypass rider used to generate Rs 15,000-20,000 per trip though it was a relatively short-haul service,” sources added.
Services from Pathanapuram
The discontinued services will now be operated from the hometown of Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar.
“There is a deliberate attempt to shift profitable services from Ernakulam depot. The Transport Democratic Federation has registered a strong protest against the move to degrade the depot,” said A K Manoj, TDF district president.