KOCHI: The Ernakulam KSRTC bus stand, which gained a bad reputation for being dilapidated, smelly and waterlogged, has received a much-needed upgrade, one that promises to provide a seamless travel experience to passengers.
A KSRTC official, the bus station was renovated using CSR money from BPCL and Geojit, along with Ernakulam MLA T J Vinod’s fund.
“BPCL provided `99 lakh and Geojit gave Rs 12 lakh. The renovation was completed in three phases using another Rs 77.7 lakh from the MLA fund,” said the official.
A lot has changed. “There is a resting area fitted with chairs, the AC restroom has been renovated and upgraded and toilets have been refurbished and will be maintained by Sulabh International. There is also locker room facility, where passengers can safely store their valuables for a nominal fee,” said the official.
And the station will no longer be waterlogged. “This was evident in the rain that lashed the city recently. Though places like MG Road got waterlogged, the KSRTC bus station was unaffected, thanks to elevated flooring,” said the official.
He said even shopping spaces have been renovated. “KSRTC can auction those for a higher price. A reading corner has been set up inside the station. There is also a medical corner, where first aid and other primary healthcare can be provided,” said the official.
For more than five decades, the KSRTC terminal had stood as a grim reminder of urban neglect. Crumbling infrastructure, poor hygiene and flooding had made it one of Kochi’s most infamous public spaces. The demolition of the building that housed the station, and the construction of a new terminal had hit several roadblocks. KSRTC’s repeated promises to address the issue had mostly remained on paper.
Work on swanky bus stand at Karikkamuri gets going
Finance Minister K N Balagopal will lay the foundation stone of the new KSRTC depot building, sanctioned for `13 crore, near the St Joseph UP School at Karikkamuri.
MLA T J Vinod said with the completion of the new building, transport facilities in Ernakulam region will improve further. “The brand new building will be able to house 20 buses at once. It will be solely a passenger terminal,” said a KSRTC official.