Erattupetta: Forty-seven years have passed since the red-yellow bus of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) rolled into the hearts and minds of the Vagamon residents. The bus is a symbol of popular goodwill. In the initial days, it was common to see people waving down the bus to buy tickets even if they did not have to travel in it.
The government-owned corporation assigned a bus to Vagamon in 1971 after a privately run bus stopped service on the unprofitable route. The residents of the hilly area were suddenly disconnected from the valley. Students of the Vellikulam and Theekoy schools were particularly affected.
The headmaster of the Vellikulam school led a delegation of parents and other residents of the area to the then transport minister K M George, who was also the people’s representative from the nearby Poonjar. George instructed the KSRTC to assign a bus from the Kottayam depot to Vagamon.
The people of Vagamon gave a royal welcome to the bus. The corporation later extended the route to Pullikkanam to benefit the labourers working in an estate. The bus started its trip from Kottayam at 4.20 am with loads of newspapers meant for subscribers from Ettumanoor to Pullikkanam.
On its return trip, the bus carried letters from the local post offices to the head post office in Kottayam. The bus was later shifted to the fleet managed by the newfound Pala depot. It is currently managed by the Erattupetta depot. This remains the first bus of the day from Kottayam to Erattupetta and the last bus from Erattupetta to Kottayam.
The people of the area, who have fond memories of the bus and the friendly staff, are planning to celebrate 47 years of the service.
