KOCHI: Denying reports that the KSRTC is taking an anti-people stand on shifting the long-distance services to the hub, the KSRTC authorities said that they needed time to draft a proper plan to solve the problem. “We cannot implement the changes all of a sudden. If we shift the entire services to the hub, the people from Edakochi, Kumbalangi, Palluruthy, Thoppumpady and Chellanam will be the worst-affected. They will have to either get down at Aroor and from there will have to seek alternative vehicles,” said PL Jose, zonal officer, KSRTC.Apart from causing trouble to West Kochiites, the new system will also affect the existing schedules of inter-city buses, Jose added.“For instance, consider a bus going to Coimbatore from Thiruvananthapuram. As per the inter-city permit, the bus is scheduled to reach Coimbatore station by 4.45 am. If we re-route the bus through the hub, we will be able to save 40 minutes. But as per the permit, we cannot reach there before 4.45 am. We will have to halt for about 45 minutes at any of the bus stations in between. For all these, we will have to re-schedule the whole timings,” he added.Jose said that it is a time-consuming process and all these changes cannot be implemented within a day’s time. “We hope that a better solution feasible for both the KSRTC and the Hub Society will be evolved at the next meeting. Till then, the long- distance KSRTC buses will continue entering the hub from 8 am to 8pm,” he said.About commencing more Vyttila-Vyttila circular night services, Jose said it would not be financially viable for the state-run KSRTC.“With diesel prices skyrocketing, it will not be financially feasible for the KSRTC to start more night services to the hub. To launch more night services, we will have to start pilot services which requires sanction from the state government. Hence we are waiting for the nod from the higher authorities to take a decision in this regard,” Jose said.
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