ALAPPUZHA: LED lights, decorative items and pleasant music and aroma, the KSRTC bus plying on the Alappuzha-Karunagappally stretch has it all. However, it’s not just the bus that piques the interest of commuters. Its two staffers — driver Giri Gopinath and conductor Thara of KSRTC’s Haripad depot — are equally interesting. For starters, they are a happily married couple.
“We were working in the same private company in 2000 when we fell in love. In 2007, I got a job in KSRTC Haripad depot as driver. Our relationship still continued. Three years later, Thara too got a job in KSRTC as conductor. We have been working in the same depot for over 10 years. We get assigned the same service most of the time,” said Giri, 46, a native of Velanchirathoppil in Thottapally.
They started working together in the Karunagappally service three years ago. Before starting the service every day, they clean the bus and decorate the interior with garlands and other items. The bus also has CCTV cameras, a music system and air freshener. “Initially, we would just clean the bus and decorate the interior. Later, we fixed six CCTV cameras to prevent accidents. They are removed after the day’s service,” said Giri. The bus’s name board is dotted with LED lights.
Thara, 42, said the decorations were done after obtaining permission from KSRTC officials. “We used our own money for them,” she said. Giri said they had to wait 20 years to get married as their respective family members were against it. “We convinced them and finally got married in April 2020,” he said.