A day after the Transport department published the final notification permitting city entry of private buses from Goshree islands, doubts persist whether all the 120 buses from the isles and areas such as North Paravur that culminate their trips at High Court Junction will be permitted to operate on city routes.
The final notification looks much the same as the draft of the notification, despite stakeholders expressing concern at provisions that could pose hurdles to the city entry of private buses, said Anil Plavians, general secretary of the Federation of Residents’ Associations’ Apex Council in Goshree Islands (FRAG), which has been spearheading the agitation demanding that the buses be permitted to operate beyond High Court Junction, on city routes. “Thus, doubts persist over whether 65 buses from North Paravur and 25 from Munambam will be able to enter the city since there are curbs on buses operating beyond 25 km on the route. Only buses beyond Njarakkal might be able to make it beyond High Court Junction,” he added.
Commuters might once again end up at the mercy of the KSRTC that does not consistently operate services. A case in point is the agency withdrawing the 32 Thirukochi buses that once operated from the isles to the city. Another lot of 17 buses it subsequently operated too were withdrawn. The final notification needs clarity on whether private buses will be given ‘permit variation’ so that they can enter the city. Else, commuters will once again be at the mercy of vehicles that operate parallel service or will have to continue depending on private vehicles that are worsening congestion in the corridor, he added.
A similar view was echoed by P.K. Lenin, a bus operator. “The notification has not taken into account any of the suggestions that we made at a public hearing on the draft notification that was held here earlier this year.”
The Transport department must take into consideration the aspirations of a few lakh islanders who hoped that they would get direct public transport connectivity to the city soon after the trio of Goshree bridges were commissioned 19 years ago, in 2004, said Francis Chammany, president of the Vypeen-Fort Kochi Passengers’ Association. Monday’s notification is vague on this aspect. Traffic congestion on the first Goshree bridge will worsen if buses from the isles do not operate into the city since more commuters will pour into the city in cars and two-wheelers, he added.
K.N. Unnikrishnan, Vypeen MLA, said the notification was much the same as its draft since stakeholders who attended the public hearing did not have any serious opposition. “The notification was the result of much home work done by the MVD and the Law department. It will now be handed over to the Ernakulam RTO, who will take the necessary follow-up action.”
