KOCHI: It was five months ago that the KSRTC deployed a couple of ‘coastal services’ connecting Alappuzha and Ernakulam on an experimental basis. But the services gradually enjoyed increasing commuter patronage, thanks to the dust issues and the traffic snarls along the Aroor-Thuravoor National Highway section due to the ongoing elevated highway project.
“Now, we operate four services connecting Alappuzha and Ernakulam in the morning and evening peak hours through the coastal route via Mararikulam, Chellanam, and Kannamaly. The services enjoy good patronage with each of them clocking a daily collection of `10, 000 to 15,000. These four services are besides the one operated by the Ernakulam depot,” said a senior KSRTC official.
The evening service, leaving Vyttila Hub at 6.10pm, runs full. The service starts from Amrita Medical College at 5.20pm and reaches Alappuzha at 9pm.
“Now that people have come to know about that service, many regular commuters have started taking the coastal service to Alappuzha rather than those being operated through the National Highway. They can escape the traffic blocks and also the dust at the construction sites all along the stretch. Many are availing the service to enjoy the cool evening breeze,” said another official, working as the Vyttila Hub Station Master.
The regular travellers of the bus have even formed a group ‘KSRTC Beach Way Community’. “Come and experience the cool breeze and the scenic beauty of the coastal areas without getting affected by the pothole-filled roads ‘gifted’ by the highway and the dust-filled atmosphere,” reads a notice issued by the Community inviting commuters to experience the coastal trip. The services were started at the initiative of Alappuzha MLA P P Chitharanjan when long traffic snarls were a regular affair along the 12.75km Aroor-Thuravoor stretch due to the elevated highway construction works.
“Many regular commuters shifted to the coastal service due to the slow-moving traffic along the highway stretch. There were days when I would catch the Nedumbassery low-floor AC bus and reach the destination nearly four hours later. However, as the elevated highway works progress, the traffic snarls are reducing as well. I don’t know about the future of the coastal services once the highway works are over,” said Alappuzha resident Koshy P Jacob, a textile businessman who is a regular commuter.
However, the KSRTC authorities are hopeful of the services enjoying continued commuter patronage. “Now we run the services only during the morning and evening peak hours. We’ll introduce more trips based on the commuter demand,” the KSRTC official said.
While the Alappuzha-Chellanam-Amrita Hospital service departs from Alappuzha depot at 6am, the Alappuzha-Chellanam-Ernakulam bus leaves at 6.30am, the Alappuzha-Fort Kochi service leaves at 7am and the Alappuzha-Chellanam-Ernakulam bus leaves at 7.30am.