High-Level committee sitting within two days

KOCHI: The first sitting of the high-level committee formed to study the starting of more night services to the Vyttila mobility Hub will be held in Kochi in two days. It is learnt that the three member committee is planning to schedule trips in such a way that the long distance Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses will ply alternatively to Vyttila Mobility Hub and the Ernakulam bus stations respectively.The committee is expected to finalise which buses coming from the Edappally side and Aroor side will be diverted to the Hub on an alternative basis.Currently, long distance KSRTC buses enter the hub only between 8 am and 8 pm. Though the Vyttila Mobility Hub Society requested KSRTC authorities to shift their entire operations to the hub, KSRTC said that if its entire services were diverted to the hub, the passengers from West Kochi would suffer.The Chief Minister who convened a meeting in this regard at Thiruvanathapuram the other day decided to constitute a three member committee comprising of KSRTC managing director, transport secretary and Vyttila Mobility Hub managing director to give a study report.“The Committee will prepare a detailed report on the number of long distance buses that can be rerouted via Vyttila hub. The date of the sitting will be finalised after consulting the transport secretary,” said Vyttila Mobility Hub Society managing director M Beena. Meanwhile, the Eranakulam KSRTC depot hasn’t taken any steps towards rerouting of its services.“We are waiting for the committee to submit its report. We will reschedule according to the instructions issued by the higher authorities,” said KSRTC zonal manager P L Jose.KOCHI: Long distance buses arriving at Vyttila Mobility Hub towards Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Thrissur were late by almost an hour due to traffic blocks en-route due to strikes owing to the hike in petrol prices on Friday.The buses were also jam-packed causing additional hardships to the passengers at the hub in addition to the delay.Confusion over whether the buses would ply throught the hub after 8 pm and anger over the predicament they were in led to passengers verbally harrassing the station master.However, the passengers had to go to the Ernakulam KSRTC bus station after 8pm.“The unusual rush was due to the motor vehicle strike scheduled for Saturday.But the KSRTC cannot be held responsible for Friday’s delay as it was beyond our control,” said P S Salil, KSRTC Station Master, Vyttila Mobility hub.Officials concerned announced that all KSRTC services will ply on Saturday regardless of the motor vehicle strike.