The Hindu 30.09.2009
Kochi Corporation to decide on premium city bus routes
Staff Reporter
With the buses, a reduction in private vehicles entering the city is expected.
KOCHI: A special council meeting of the Kochi Corporation will decide on the routes for the premium bus service proposed for the city.
Announcing the decision, Kochi Mayor Mercy Williams said that the Corporation could spell out its priorities regarding the routes after the meeting.
The government has directed the District Collector to identify land for bus bays, vehicle-parking facilities for the commuters and also a parking lot for the buses. Kochi would get the gearless-buses which are bigger in size than the ones plying in the city.
While fixing the routes, preference should go for the routes which are at present not covered by the Kerala Road State Transport Corporation, Ms. Williams said.
Ideally, Kochi requires mini buses for covering the city which are not in the route map of the bus operators, said C.K. Manisankar, Deputy Mayor.
In the first phase, financial viability of the bus service will not be a concern, as the focus will for creating a culture of travelling in the public transport system, Prof. Williams said.
The authorities hope to reduce the number of private vehicles entering the city and reduce traffic congestion by encouraging people to use the public transport system.
e-governance
The e-governance programme and the video conferencing facility of the Kochi Corporation were inaugurated by the Local Administration Minister Paloli Muhammad Kutty at the project office of the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project.
Though the Corporation councillors were intimated that the function will be held at the Corporation council hall, the Minister didn’t turn up there. He left the Corporation office after inaugurating the facility leading to loud protests from the councillors who waited for him at the hall.
