Kuzhimavu: Dealing a major blow to residents of the interior hilly areas of Kottayam district such as Pamba Valley, Kuzhimavu and 504 Nagar, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has withdrawn a bus service connecting Erumely and Ernakulam citing poor ticket collections. However, residents of these places find it hard to believe the reason cited by the KSRTC to stop the service as it was always popular. 

The fast passenger bus started its daily service from Erumely at 4.30 am and travelled along Kanamala, Pamba Valley, Mookkampetty, Kuzhimavu, 504 Nagar and Punchavayal to Mundakkayam. The beneficiaries of the bus included residents of the several Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Adivasi enclaves along a 24-km stretch on this route. In fact, people residing in these places and working elsewhere depended on the service to reach their destinations for years.  These people are now forced to depend on taxis.

From Mundakkayam, the bus took the Parathanam - Erattupetta route to Ernakulam and was a big boon to commuters such as students in the area as there are few bus services along Parathanam and Cholathadam. Among the worst affected passengers due to the cancellation of the service are residents of the hilly regions on the 27-km stretch between Mundakkayam and Erattupetta covering places such as Parathanam, Cholathadam and Pathambuzha. 

In the evening, the bus returned from Ernakulam to Erumely along the same route.

Reacting to the issue, Koruthode panchayat president C M Jancy said that being a resident of a place along the bus route, she is personally aware of the difficulties caused by the cancellation of the service. “People in the rural areas which were connected by the bus are planning protests. The bus used to attract sufficient passengers. If the KSRTC is ending the service citing the lack of long-distance travellers to Ernakulam, it can start a new service between Erumely and Erattupetta  to ease the travel woes of commuters in the region,” she said.