Articles
City entry for Vypeen private buses remains unresolved in draft scheme
July 21, 2023
EP 52 | Contracting and Tendering in the Public Transport System | #PolicyBeyondPolitics
July 21, 2023Unresolved Vypin Bus Issue Continues to Plague Islanders
The issue of inadequate bus connectivity between Vypin and Kochi city has plagued the residents of Vypin for more than 18 years now. With the recent draft scheme notification dated May 17, 2023, by the Kerala State Transport Department to nationalise a crucial route in Vypin, Kerala, the demand for Vypin commuters was disregarded. The Vypin public has been deceived into believing that this move was initiated to provide entry for all Vypin buses into Kochi city. However, the nationalisation scheme may limit commuters’ access to Kochi city and does not address the persistent demand of the citizens to permit private buses into the city.
The draft scheme’s notification follows a stakeholders’ meeting conducted in January 2023, organised under the special instructions of the state government to deliberate on the entry of private buses from the Vypin islands into the city. During the meeting, different stakeholders, including public and bus operator associations, unanimously expressed their support for the demand to permit private buses to access the city. However, the notification did not cater to this demand but was rather a move to monopolise the route for KSRTC.
Under the aforesaid scheme, a 36-kilometre route between Paravur KSRTC bus station and Vytilla hub, passing through Cherai, Bolgatty junction, High Court junction, Jetty bus stand, and Kadavanthra, is set to be nationalised. This move would effectively exclude private operators from accessing Ernakulam city, as the scheme imposes a 25-kilometre cap on route overlaps. By imposing restrictions on route overlaps, the scheme prevents these buses from reaching crucial destinations beyond the High Court junction. This restriction significantly affects private buses from Munambam, Cherai, and Vypin, as reaching areas like Vytilla and Kakkanad would require them to travel more than the permitted 25 kilometres on the nationalised route. In 2022, as per a survey conducted by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC), about 82 percent of bus passengers from the Vypin region use private buses as a mode of transportation to Ernakulam city from High Court junction. This limitation can disrupt commuters’ daily routines and create inconvenience.
Can KSRTC cater to the demand?
Although NATPAC reports state that 22,000 individuals commute via buses and private vehicles from Vypin to Ernakulam city every morning, the unofficial data shows that more than 55,000 individuals commute from the island to Ernakulam city. An STU that has just 4,200 buses for its 3.34 crore population speaks volumes about its inefficiency and capacity to cater to public demand. Despite its efforts, KSRTC has faced numerous obstacles in its attempts to introduce buses in the Vypin region. In the past, KSRTC offered even more services, but its unreliable scheduling techniques with no regard for commuter requirements remained a problem. KSRTC frequently operated services in the opposite direction, making the services unprofitable and eventually causing their discontinuation. The lack of adequate infrastructure, geographical constraints, opposition from local operators, and operational limitations have collectively contributed to the failures.
As per the benchmarks laid out by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, cities require 60 buses per lakh population, and thus Kerala needs an additional 8,540 buses to adequately serve the travel needs of citizens. From 2013 to 2023, the number of buses owned by KSRTC decreased from 5500 to 4200, indicating a significant decline. Additionally, they have been unable to expand their fleet over the span of nearly ten years. On the other hand, the private operators provide about 7,300 buses as of 2023. This highlights the significance of private operators in Kerala, as they play a crucial role in addressing the service gap of KSRTC. The restrictions imposed by the nationalisation scheme, including limitations on permit changes, further curtail the operations of private operators, undermining their ability to address the demand for enhanced bus connectivity.
As part of the initial efforts to improve connectivity, four new KSRTC services were launched in January 2023, connecting Vypin to the city. Two services each were to start from North Paravur and Kodungalloor depots to Chottanikkara, Kakkanad, Fort Kochi and Aluva. The citizens were hopeful that this move would heed an ear to their pleading demand for increased bus services. The subsequent phase aimed to resolve the legal obstacles that currently prevent private buses from entering the city. However, through this scheme notification, the demands of the Vypin residents have been dismissed. The nationalisation scheme, while aimed at bolstering KSRTC’s presence, fails to address the persistent demand for private buses.
Addressing these challenges requires collaborative efforts between KSRTC, local authorities, and other stakeholders to develop sustainable solutions that cater to the unique requirements of Vypin. Only through such joint efforts can a successful and comprehensive bus network be established to meet the transportation needs of the residents of Vypin.
This article was first featured in The New Indian Express, click here to read the news.
Views expressed by the author are personal and need not reflect or represent the views of the Centre for Public Policy Research.
Lizbeth Jibi Godwin is Senior Associate- Research at the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR). She completed her post-graduation in MSc. Economics with specialization in Urban Development from Symbiosis International University. She also worked with Stories Worth Sharing Organization, Delhi as their Associate Partner and was the City head of Trivandrum. Her key areas of research interest include Urban Mobility, Urban Governance and Behavioural Economics.
