KOCHI: It seems the wait for a new KSRTC bus station, complete with ‘world-class’ restrooms, will be a long one.
A meeting with stakeholders had been slated for November 6, but it was cancelled as Industries Minister P Rajeeve, who was supposed to lead discussions, got busy with the government’s Nava Kerala Sadas programmes.
According to sources, the meeting is likely to be held only after December 24. At a time when a luxury travel magazine based in London placed Kochi on the top of the list of best places to visit in Asia in 2024, Ernakulam bus station remains a sorry picture — a reeking mess.
“Imagine a situation where people arriving here are being greeted with sub-class facilities right at the gateway,” says Hrishikesh S, who is associated with the tourism industry. Kerala Travel Mart president echoes similar disgust. He recalls recommending the 6 am KSRTC bus to Munnar to a group of foreign tourists. “When they returned, the tourists accused me of being inconsiderate. One of them said they had never seen such a pathetic bus station.”
Jose highlights the private bus station in Kannur as a positive example to learn from.“It was renovated on a build-operate-transfer basis,” he says. “It was a project under the Kannur corporation. That’s what a city bus station should be like. It has a commercial complex and even a hypermarket. The private party that was awarded the tender has been given the operation rights for 29 years.” It is high time KSRTC started thinking about private partnerships, Jose stresses.
“It will ensure the development of good infrastructure at zero expense to the government. Once the operating period is over, the government will have an impressive facility at its disposal. It is a win-win,” he adds. According to an official, a public-private participation model has been mooted for the new bus station planned in Karikkamuri.
The plan is to build a station for both KSRTC and private buses on the corporation’s three-acre land near the existing Ernakulam bus station. “The project will be jointly executed by Cochin Smart Mission Limited and Vyttila Mobility Hub. CSML has sanctioned Rs 12 crore for the project,” says the official.
Dream plan
Bus boarding slots: 20 for private buses, 6 for KSRTC