The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Friday resumed full-fledged operations suspended since March 25 following COVID-19 induced lockdown.
The full-fledged operations, ensuring COVID-19 protocol, after nine months has made the depots and bus stations of the KSRTC lively again. The patronage for the services is to be seen as educational institutions are remaining closed and offices and commercial establishments yet to function in full-fledged way.
The decision to advance the full-fledged operations from the earlier decided January 1 , 2021 is in the wake of the Government directive to the KSRTC management after the railway commenced most of the inter-city trains in the State as fully reserved specials.
However, the KSRTC’s Fast Passenger services will be restricted to two districts and Super Fast services to four districts for the time being. The restrictions, that is already in place, will be a hurdle for long distance travellers as they will have to board two buses if they want to commute between six districts.
The KSRTC was operating 5,218 schedules before the lockdown days and the plan is to operate 4,791 schedules at least daily, a top official of operations wing said.
The KSRTC has already commenced inter-state services to Mysuru, Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Mookambika in adjoining Karnataka using multi-axle buses in the fleet.
But, the request to Tamil Nadu government to commence inter-state services had not received any response. “After writing two letters, they have informed that they have no plans to operate inter-state services at present and that they will let us know. However, we have decided to operate daily a Super Deluxe service from Chennai to Thiruvananthapuram via Nagercoil from December 21 to January 3, 2021 to clear the rush during Christmas holidays”, he said.
