Thodupuzha: At a time when KSRTC depots across Kerala are expanding services and strengthening existing routes, the wheels of the Thodupuzha depot seem to have slowed to a troubling stop

Several of its long-standing services have been discontinued without proper explanation, sparking allegations of a nexus between the private bus lobby, certain KSRTC officials and employee union leaders. The alleged collusion, locals say, has led to the systematic withdrawal of services under flimsy pretexts.

It’s not just long-distance routes that have been affected. Ordinary services such as the Anakkayam route, which began from the Muvattupuzha depot five decades ago and the Mullaringadu service that catered to rural and tribal areas, have also been stopped. The move has drawn sharp criticism, with fingers pointed at some employee union leaders and officials for their role in halting these operations.

Under mounting public pressure, three Anakkayam trips have been reinstated. However, there has been no effort to restore the remaining four. A chain service that once operated along the Kothamangalam–Kanjirappally route was also scrapped within a week following intervention from the private bus lobby. KSRTC authorities have justified these cancellations by citing financial losses.

Since 2015, the only long-distance service introduced from the Thodupuzha depot has been a Palakkad service launched earlier this year. Even afterwards, officials have not proposed a single new route. Although ten buses were allotted from various depots to Thodupuzha for chain services, the depot even failed to take delivery of all of them.

Initially, five to six buses were deployed for these services, but within ten days, operations were stopped again, citing losses. Many believe KSRTC officials succumbed to pressure from private bus operators running parallel routes.

The issue isn’t new. During the tenure of Tomin T. Thachankary as the KSRTC Managing Director, air-conditioned (AC) buses from all district depots except those in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode were withdrawn to operate the ‘Chill Bus’ service. Authorities had promised that when the services operated using those buses were halted, fast passenger services would replace them on profitable routes.

However, despite all AC services in Thodupuzha being profitable, no one pushed for even a single fast passenger service to replace them.

Earlier, an AC bus used to operate from Ernakulam to Thodupuzha at 9.30 PM, but that service has now been discontinued. Currently, the bus from Ernakulam to Thodupuzha departs at 8.35 PM and the next one only at 10.10 PM. The Ernakulam–Thodupuzha–Kattappana service, which used to start from Thodupuzha at 5.30 PM and stay overnight at Ernakulam before returning the next day, has also been stopped. Ironically, it was withdrawn on the grounds that it overlapped with the Padichira–Pathanamthitta service. But this service has since been rerouted via Ernakulam, Piravom and Pala.

No efficiency in operation of services either
Thodupuzha depot was included in the inter-state agreement of 2015, but unlike other depots, not a single service under that agreement was launched from here. Similarly, the proposed Thodupuzha–Nedumkandam–Madurai route, listed in the Kerala–Tamil Nadu inter-state service pact implemented later, never took off either.

While neighbouring depots successfully resumed services that were suspended during the pandemic, Thodupuzha continues to lag behind. For instance, the Moolamattam depot, which operated 20 services before COVID-19, now runs 28 schedules and would run more if not for the shortage of vehicles.

Pathanamthitta depot, which had relatively fewer services before the pandemic, has now grown to become one of the major KSRTC depots in the state with a significant number of inter-state routes. In contrast, when asked about inter-state services from Thodupuzha, elected representatives still refer nostalgically to the long-defunct Velankanni Express.

During the 1990s, a Thodupuzha–Velankanni service operated via Muvattupuzha, Perumbavoor and Thrissur. Later, under Minister Balakrishna Pillai, the route was changed to run through Ernakulam, Aluva and Thrissur. The rerouting, intended to phase out the service gradually, eventually led to its transfer to the Changanassery depot after it began incurring losses.

Key services stopped from Thodupuzha after 2015

• Transfer of the Thodupuzha–Ernakulam chain service (7.20 AM) to Moolamattam in exchange for another route.
• Reduction of the Thodupuzha–Alappuzha route from four services to just one.
• Withdrawal of the Paravur–Thodupuzha–Erumely service and its return leg Erumely–Aluva–Thodupuzha.
• Partial restoration of the Thodupuzha–Anakkayam shuttle, with only three services now operating.
• Stoppage of Thodupuzha–Mullaringadu–Vellakayam route.
• Replacement of the Thodupuzha–Pandappilly–Chottanikkara service with a Thodupuzha–Amrita Hospital service.
• Curtailment of the Thodupuzha–Kayamkulam–Kollam–Thiruvananthapuram service to just Thodupuzha–Kayamkulam.
• Suspension of several services in the Thodupuzha–Sivagiri and Thodupuzha–Kattappana chain routes.
• Discontinuation of the Kothamangalam–Muvattupuzha–Thodupuzha–Erattupetta–Kanjirappally chain service.
• Termination of the KURTC operations.

Withdrawal of AC services:

• Thodupuzha–Thiruvananthapuram (3 schedules)
• Thodupuzha–Ernakulam (3 schedules)
• Thodupuzha–Thrissur (2 schedules)
• Thodupuzha–Ernakulam–Munnar (1 schedule)