Goshree islanders annoyed over ‘unscientific’ schedule of private and KSRTC buses

Over a month ago, a total of 19 buses were launched by Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar on city routes from the Goshree Islands.
| Photo Credit: file photo

The Goshree islanders are on the warpath yet again, citing how the “unscientific” schedule allotted to nine private buses and ten Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses, launched over a month ago on city routes by Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar, has resulted in the inefficient utilisation of all the 19 buses.

This has resulted in a situation where neither the private nor the KSRTC buses are getting adequate revenue from the sale of tickets. This could, in turn, even lead to buses being withdrawn from service. “The suspicion is rife that a lobby that managed to prevent the city entry of buses from the Goshree Islands for over 20 years has turned active once again, to derail the bus services and scuttle the city entry of buses from the isles,” said Anil Plavians, general secretary of the Federation of Residents’ Associations Apex Councils in Goshree Islands (FRAG).

The lobby used to cite excuses like road congestion in the city and curbs on private buses operating along nationalised routes as reasons for blocking the city entry of private buses. In this situation, FRAG commissioned a study which showed that the buses from the isles, granted the green signal to operate into the city, might withdraw their services. The stakeholders concerned, including the KSRTC, should reschedule bus timings to avoid any overlap between private and KSRTC services, he demanded in a release.