It was under the Public Transportation Project funded by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) that the buses were introduced in the city. As per the project, 200 low-floor, semi-low floor and mini buses were supposed to be introduced in Kochi, while 150 buses were to ply in Thiruvananthapuram.
Now, the civic administration alleges that the decision of the KSRTC to operate inter-district services was taken without the consent of the Corporation.
The JNNURM guidelines clearly state that the buses should be used for services within the agglomeration area of the
mission cities. It also suggests the formation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which is mandatory for running
the services. The contract is between the local body and Union Government. The decision to carry out services to other districts is a violation of the national policy, the civic authorities point out.
However, the KSRTC authorities brush aside the allegations of the civic representatives and reiterate that they have not
violated any rules. The new inter-district services are intended for the city dwellers, as they also can use them to reach other nearby places, says KSRTC managing director K G Mohanlal. KSRTC has not taken away any service from the cities. None of the buses would be withdrawn and all the buses will be stationed in their respective centres, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.