Transport Minister AK Sasindran said that long-distance KSRTC buses will be operating in the state from tomorrow. 206 long-distance services will be launched from tomorrow at the old fare. But there will be no interstate service now. Services will be operated from areas other than the Containment Zones.
There will be no KSRTC services from Thiruvananthapuram Thampanoor, which has a large number of Covid patients. Instead, a temporary arrangement will be made from the Anayara in Thiruvananthapuram, the minister said at a press conference in Kozhikode.
Minister asked private bus owners should also come to the position of ensuring travel facilities for the people. If not, two-wheelers will increase and city buses will be eliminated, this will also eliminate KSRTC from the road. Statistics show that people have come to the conclusion that there will be no public transport. An example of this is the increasing number of two-wheelers and used vehicles on the road.
During the COVID period, the number of passengers relying on buses declined. Leaving more people on public transportation is a big challenge. In this context, the Minister explained that KSRTC has decided to run the service despite the loss. The maximum that can be done is done for private buses. The minister said the tax period for private bus owners has been extended to two months and the government will introduce a system for paying taxes.