The Times of India examines the Notification regarding the entry of private buses from Vypeen to the City

Notification on Vypeen buses a blunder: GCDW

Kochi: A day after the government issued a notification regarding the entry of private buses from Vypeen to the city, many organizations in the transport sector have come up with the allegation that it would not benefit commuters from the Vypeen region.

The organizations such as city-based Think tank, Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), and the Greater Cochin Development Watch (GCDW) had come up against the draft notification

D Dhanuraj, Chairman of CPPR said the notification will not encourage private bus operators to start new services between the city centre and Vypeen, and that instead, it would negatively affect the existing bus services between high court junction and the Vypeen region.“It is very clear that the transport department issued the notification with an aim to nationalize the entire route between Vypeen and the city centre. Many organizations and individuals had raised concerns over the schemes and conditions in the draft notifications, during the public hearing. However, it is learned that the government did not pay attention to the points raised at the hearing. The notification would worsen the decades-old travel issues of the people from Vypeen, with the fresh notification,” he said.

Private buses from Vypeen get nod to enter city

Kochi: The state government on Monday issued the notification allowing entry of private buses from Vypeen to the city.The scheme of the notification which was issued by the transport secretary Biju Prabhakaran, is applicable to two routes %E2%80%94 Paravur KSRTC bus Station- Vyttila hub via Cherai, Bolgatty Palace Junction, High Court Junction, Jetty Bus Stand and Kadavanthra which is about 36km and Paravur KSRTC Bus Station-Kakkanad via Koonammavu, Cheranalloor Junction, Container Road, High Court Junction, Kaloor, Palarivattom, which is about 34 km.

The draft notification regarding this was issued in May. Considering complaints against the draft notification from various quarters, the government had conducted a public hearing at the secretariat three months ago. There were complaints that it was intended to nationalise the route and would not serve the interest of islanders.

The city based Think Tank, Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) had criticised that the draft notification made no mention of permitting the entry of private buses into the city. Meanwhile, local MLA of Vypeen K N Unnikrishnan said that the final notification was a major step to make the entry of buses from islands to the city.

Views expressed by the author are personal and need not reflect or represent the views of the Centre for Public Policy Research.