KOCHI: For years, Ernakulam KSRTC bus station has been synonymous with dirty, shabby and unhygienic. Passengers are forced to use an unsightly waiting area, and dilapidated and stinky restrooms. The situation is such that those in the tourism sector feel it paints a negative image about Ernakulam in the minds of those visiting the place.
KSRTC MD Biju Prabhakar has declared that things are about to change, and a decision on the bus station’s redevelopment is on the anvil. However, tourism players are taking his words with a pinch of salt.
“How,” wondered Jose Pradeep, president of Kerala Travel Mart. He said it was easy to say things. “Where are they going to get the funds? KSRTC is cash-strapped and is struggling to make ends meet. It would be tough to source the required money and build a world-class facility,” Jose said.
Hrishikesh S, who is associated with the industry, agreed. “It is high time KSRTC starts thinking about private partnership. Build, operate, transfer is a model that can be used. It will ensure development of very good infrastructure and that too at zero expense for the government. Once the operating period gets over, the government will have a very good facility at its disposal. It is a win-win,” he said.
Hrishikesh said bus stations, railway stations and even airports are gateways to a place. “Imagine a situation where people arriving here are being greeted with sub-class facilities right at the gateway,” he said. Recalling a recent incident, Jose said a group of foreign tourists who wanted to go to Munnar asked him about the mode of transportation. “I suggested taking the 6 am bus from the Ernakulam KSRTC bus station. They did. When they returned, the tourists accused me of being inconsiderate. One of them said they had never seen such a pathetic bus station,” he said.
KSRTC MD Biju Prabhakar said Industries Minister P Rajeeve will convene a meeting this month to take a call on the Ernakulam KSRTC bus station redevelopment project. Sources said expressions of interest received from various organisations was to be opened on November 6. “The project will be in the public private partnership (PPP) model.
The idea is to redevelop the establishment as a commercial building and bus stand,” said the official. He also said plan was to build a stand for both KSRTC and private buses on the corporation’s three-acre land at Karikkamuri. “The project will jointly be handled by Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML) and Vyttila Mobility Hub. CSML has sanctioned Rs 12 crore,” he said.