KOCHI: It was in 2018 that the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) started ‘Chill’ and ‘Fly’ bus services providing connectivity to airports, especially the Kochi airport, with much fanfare by utilising its AC low-floor fleet. Nearly 25 services, which operated mostly on the Ernakulam-Kozhikode route were diverted via the Kochi airport to provide flight-bound passengers with first and last-mile connectivity. Six years down the lane, only a single low-floor bus is conducting the service via the airport, that too from Alappuzha, as air passengers from the northern parts are left in the lurch, having limited options when it comes to affordable public transport.
The KSRTC authorities claimed that the services were not profitable even as the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) vouch for the fact that the airport connectivity feeder service enjoyed good patronage from commuters. Moreover, they disclosed plans to increase the feeder bus services operating in the Aluva-Nedumbassery airport section. Sources, though, attribute the real reason to low-floor buses developing snags and their high cost of maintenance and repairs.
“We deployed the AC low-floor buses as they are roomy enough to carry luggage and also offer comfortable travel to the flyers. However, the JNNURM buses are costly to maintain. Even the replacement of certain key body parts costs lakhs. Another reason was the protest by passengers who pointed out that an additional 30 minutes were being lost, when the long-haul buses were diverted to Kochi airport,” said a senior KSRTC official.
“Currently, the KSRTC operates only a single AC low-floor bus to the airport. All the services from the northern region have been stopped,” the official said.
The KSRTC AC low-floor bus will start from Alappuzha at 7.10 am to reach Kochi airport at 10.30 am.The Ernakulam and Angamly depots do not operate even a single service linking the airport. However, the metro feeder buses operate every half-an-hour to Aluva, starting from 6.30 am to 10 pm. The fare is Rs 60 per passenger.
Air passengers decry lack of public transport to northern regions While the majority of airports offer good public transport connectivity, there are hardly any public transport buses to northern regions from the Kochi airport, which handles over 60 % of Kerala’s total air passenger traffic. This is despite the majority of air passengers hailing from northern regions.
“Most of the airports have good public transport connectivity to airports as flyers, especially those travelling light and not in groups, look for affordable journeys by public transport. For example, the Karnataka Road Transport Corporation operates Vayu Vajra buses round the clock from the Bengaluru airport to various destinations in the ‘Garden City’ as Bengaluru is popularly known as. The average fare is only `240. Similar is the case with the Chennai airport. But here, there is virtually no service to the northern parts,” said Ramesh Mathew, a frequent traveller.
“The KSRTC had earlier promised to operate a number of airport connectivity services, but now they are running short of buses. The air travellers to northern regions of the state like Thrissur and Malappuram district, and also to central Kerala like Kottayam and Tiruvalla have limited choice. If the corporation does not have enough buses, it should allow Kochi metro to conduct feeder services in notified routes such as airport-Angamaly,” said transportation expert Dijo Kappen, who is also the chairman of the State Public Transport Protection Committee.
Passenger associations have also been demanding introduction of adequate airport connectivity services by the KSRTC.
“It will be beneficial to a lot of passengers and the airport staff as well if the KSRTC operates round-the-clock chain service from Angamaly bus station to the airport through NH connecting Angamaly railway station and Athani junction, offering them cheaper mode of transport to and from the airport,” P Krishna Kumar, general secretary, Thrissur Railway Passengers’ Association, said in a memorandum submitted to the KSRTC authorities.
HIGH MAINTENANCE COST
KSRTC authorities disclosed plans to increase the feeder bus services operating in the Aluva-Nedumbassery airport section. Sources, though, attribute the real reason to low-floor buses developing snags and their high cost of maintenance and repairs