Kerala's Ponmudi hill station crowded as women tourists take free Priyadarshini buses

The Ponmudi hill station, in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram district, is experiencing a steep increase in the number of tourists, many of them women, of late. This is after the government launched the Priyadarshini buses that offer free travel for women.

Interestingly, more tourists scaled the misty hills of Ponmudi in the last two weeks than during the holiday season in May. However, visitors are still struggling as KSRTC is not operating additional services despite the huge demand. 

The other day, a KSRTC bus from Ponmudi was so crammed that it led to scuffles between the passengers. Passengers who were left behind managed to get into the next bus services, which were also severely crowded. 

Ponmudi has many precarious turns, hairpin bends and steep roads. It may be challenging for drivers to navigate buses carrying passengers beyond their capacity on these dangerous roads. The authorities do not impose any restrictions on the number of visitors to Ponmudi on public holidays.

However, this has led to overcrowded buses and frustrated passengers. Besides, it has become quite impossible for local residents, especially the elderly and physically challenged passengers, to board these buses, as they are always overcrowded. Despite repeated pleas from passengers to operate chain services at specific intervals on holidays from Vithura to Ponmudi, the authorities remain apathetic. 

Need for link buses
Meanwhile, people have been demanding that the KSRTC allow link buses launched a few months ago to connect two major centres, including Ponmudi. Operating link buses will also increase KSRTC’s revenue, as these are Fast Passenger buses.

It is difficult for regular fast passenger buses, which are longer than ordinary buses, to negotiate the dangerous hairpin bends and steep roads on the Ponmudi route. However, the link buses are comparatively small and can be used comfortably here.

Passengers have also been urging authorities to operate link buses to Ponmudi from Kollam, Kottarakkara, Varkala, Kovalam, Vizhinjam and Azhimala. Connecting Ponmudi to tourism centres as these would lure more tourists to the hill station. Although there have been demands to launch the Ponmudi–Kanyakumari bus service by issuing inter-state permits, nothing has happened yet.