The steep fall in the number of public transport buses in Kerala from 34,000 in 2002 to around 15,000 in 2019 is no surprise to Kochiites.
“Over 90% of private and KSRTC buses still operate through conventional routes which were fixed over four decades ago. So much so that almost all private bus operators prefer to conduct services through either Menaka or M.G. Road. This leaves residential hubs in the eastern and southern parts of the city with little or no public transport connectivity at all,” said Elsamma Joseph, a city resident, while waiting for bus at the Vyttila Mobility Hub to travel to Cherthala.
A frequent commuter on the route, she is livid that the few private and KSRTC buses operating on the route are overcrowded, with commuters often being forced to travel standing on the footboard during peak hours, risking their lives.
Then there are others like Manoj G. of Paravur, a daily-wage worker who has to catch two and sometimes three buses to reach his worksite at Kakkanad. “The ban on buses from Goshree islands from entering the city has resulted in thousands of commuters like me alighting at the chaotic High Court Junction and forced to walk up to the nearest bus stop to catch another bus for Kakkanad,” he said.
“Apart from wasting over half-an-hour, we have to spend around ₹30 extra a day on commuting alone. It also prompts several commuters to shun buses and opt for private vehicles. The commotion caused by the influx of a few thousand two-wheelers and cars into the city from Goshree islands can be solved if buses from the region are permitted to enter the city,” he added.
Hopeful of change
Both Elsamma and Manoj advocated re-routing of buses and ushering in a scientific timetable to bring about a win-win situation for commuters and bus operators. They are hopeful that their commuting woes will end when Kochi becomes the first city in India to have a Unified Metropolitan Transportation Authority (UMTA).
The UMTA Bill is expected to be tabled during the coming Legislative Assembly session in June for it to become an Act.
The falling patronage for public transport in the State can further be gauged through the words of 65-year-old Balachandran P.K., a retired bank employee. “I gave up commuting by buses decades ago since jostling to board a bus and getting seated became a tough proposition for me. Moreover, most bus stands are in a shabby condition and are not commuter-friendly,” he said while seated at the Vyttila Mobility Hub.
Shabby toilets
Vindicating the condition of most private and KSRTC bus stations in the State is the experience of M.R. Sasi, Sub Judge of Muvattupuzha. He checked into a pay-and-use urinal at the KSRTC’s main bus station near MG Road recently. “I was shocked seeing its condition, so much so that even the doors were extremely dirty. This could be a reason why many people can be seen urinating in the open behind the station,” he said.
Thousands of people use the facility after paying ₹3 and upwards. It is high time the KSRTC and contractors made amends, Mr. Sasi said.
Stakeholders upbeat
Public transportation in the Greater Kochi area will definitely get a shot in the arm when the legislation named Kerala Metropolitan Transport Authority Bill 2018, under which UMTA will be set up, integrates different modes of public transport in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode. This will also better the condition of bus stations, according to key stakeholders in the sector.
The UMTA Act is long-pending, although Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has done commendable groundwork, said a senior official of the Motor Vehicles Department. He blamed the Law and Finance departments for the undue delay in enacting the legislation.
A look at the yet-to-be-constituted authority’s milestones begins with KMRL being selected as the nodal agency of UMTA-Kochi, with its managing director as the chairman, over three years ago. The metro agency spearheaded different path-breaking initiatives to lay the groundwork for the authority.
Subsequently, around 1,000 private bus operators affiliated to various associations formed six limited liability partnership (LLP) companies, while steps are being taken to bring the 15,000-odd autorickshaws operating in the region under a society. The combined bargaining power of these bodies has begun yielding results in the form of noticeable discounts in bulk purchase of fuel, spares, tyres, and even payment of insurance premium. Apart from cashless ticketing, efforts are on to install GPS and CCTV on buses in a phased manner to track them and to woo commuters.
Possibly, for the first time in India, the metro agency also roped in public transportation experts and readied a draft UMTA Bill to bring different modes of public transport — metro, buses, ferries, autorickshaws, and taxi cars — under the umbrella of the authority. Apart from bringing about reliability of services at regular intervals, this will ensure availability of public transport on routes that were hitherto not networked by it.
A revolutionary initiative
Elaborating on how the creation of UMTA-Kochi will be a revolutionary initiative in India, K.R. Jyotilal, Principal Secretary, Transport, said the select committee on the Kerala Metropolitan Transport Authority Bill 2018 had conducted public hearings at Kozhikode, Kochi, and Thiruvananthapuram over the past few months. Suggestions from experts in public transport and related fields were also consolidated in the form of a report, he said.
A recent meeting of the select committee decided not to have the managing directors of KSRTC and KMRL in UMTA. “This was due to a possibility of conflict of interests when a regulator and operator are one and the same. The two MDs could still be invited as special representatives to convey their points of view. It was also decided to have the Transport Minister as the chairman of the authority,” Mr. Jyotilal said. The Transport Secretary will be the vice chairman.
Citizen-centric approach
Ultimately, UMTA needs professionals from various spheres, including urban planning and transport, to ensure modernisation of the sector as in Singapore, Malaysia, and London. This will help in bringing about a single command and control of various modes of public transport, including fixing of timetable and fare structure. The whole sector has to become citizen-centric to survive, to decongest roads, and to lessen pollution and accidents, Mr. Jyotilal said.
So far, reforms in public transport in other Indian cities have been carried out on the basis of executive orders. A full-fledged UMTA can usher in seamless commuting, besides addressing issues like widespread encroachments on public spaces, illegal parking, and inferior quality of roads and footpaths.
Commenting on the long-overdue UMTA legislation, Minister for Transport A.K. Saseendran said the Act would ring in the much-needed reforms in the State’s public transport sector (where the number of private buses is dwindling at the rate of around 1,000 a year). “It is heartening that private bus operators in Kochi have rallied under a few companies and are opting for cashless ticketing, while retrofitting of GPS and CCTV is under way. KSRTC and KURTC too must meet commuter expectations. While unscientific services must be rescheduled, crew members must behave courteously to commuters and ensure their safety and comfort,” the Minister said. The Vyttila Mobility Hub must become a centralised point, where commuters can choose between buses, metro rail, (extension scheduled for commissioning in July), ferries, and other modes of transport, Mr. Saseendran observed.