11 years before KSRTC’s birth, Kerala’s had private bus owners’ association: Story, ticket rates of 1927
It was in 1938 that the KSRTC began its bus services.
It was in 1938 that the KSRTC began its bus services.
It was in 1938 that the KSRTC began its bus services.
Malappuram: Have you ever wondered whether there were any bus services in the Malabar region almost a century ago? Now, a historical document has been recovered that proves the existence of a motor union of the private bus owners 99 years ago, reports Manorama Online. Historians say that the Malabar Motor Union could be considered as one of the first unions of private bus owners in the country. Jonathan Nicholas aka J. Nicholas who hailed from Manjeri was the president of the union.
The historical document is in fact a notice of the decisions taken at a meeting of the Malabar Motor Union held on September 29, 1927 in Manjeri, regarding the bus fares in the southern Malabar routes. This document that has been preserved in the Kozhikode Regional Archives was discovered by Prof. MC Vasisht, former head of the department of History at the Malabar Christian College, during his research.
Malabar had a well organised private bus service even in the interior routes when bus transportation wasn’t popular at many major cities in the country. It was in 1938 that KSRTC started bus services. Prof. Vasisht says that the document proves that there was a union for private bus owners even 11 years before the first KSRTC bus ran on the roads of Kerala.
The meeting was convened by the owners of the buses that ran service in the Kozhikode, Manjeri, Nilambur, Vazhhikadavu, Malappuram and Angadippuram routes. The minutes stated that collecting six paisa for a distance of one mile was not profitable for the owners and recommended hiking the bus fare to one anna (6.25 paisa is one anna and eight annas is 50 paisa). The bus fares to various parts of the district too have been mentioned in the notice. The notice also declares that the new fares would be implemented from October that year. Meanwhile, the notice that was printed at Manjeri Sreekrisna Vilasam press was published in the name of President J Nicolas.
Prof. Vasisht notes that there are also documents to suggest that these decisions made by the bus owners’ union were later discussed by the British officials. The bus fare hike is mentioned in the letter sent by CJ Tottenham, MSP Commandant at Malappuram to the Accounts General at Fort St. George in Madras. The authorities, meanwhile, took the stand that the passengers needed to pay regular charges during the weekdays and increased fares on holidays or special days.
Who was J Nicholas?
Prof. Kristhukumar Nicholas, former principal of Malabar Christian College is the grandson of J Nicholas who was the president of the Malabar Motor Union. “My grandfather owned a bus even before 1920. The name Nicholas was written in English on the bus. My grandfather’s siblings too had owned buses. My father told me that grandfather had purchased a British model bus for Rs 500. Some of his employees later bought buses and those companies still operate bus services. J Nicholas passed away in 1961.
Our ancestral home, named Kamala Sadan, was opposite the CSI Nicholas Memorial church in Manjeri. Our ancestors had come from Thrissur and settled in Manjeri. It was J Nicholas’ mother Sampoornammal who took the initiative to build a church for the Bassel Mission in Manjeri. This church later became the CSI church. The family photo which includes Nicholas is still preserved by us,” says the 77 year old professor.
Sree Krishna Vilasam press
MP Unnikrishnan Namboothiri, an antiques collector based in Karikkad, Manjeri says that Sree Krishna Vilasam press where the notice was printed was one of the main printing presses in Malabar. He claims that he owns the panchangam prepared by Vasudevan Namboothiri from the Karumarapatta Mana that was printed in this press in 1927. Unnikrishnan added that the Sree Krishna Vilasan press was started by Padinjattumuri Payyappalli Manakkal Subramanyan Namboothiri.
The bus fares after the hike
Nilambur – Kozhikode: 2 kaasu, 8 anna (current rate: Rs 80)
Angadippuram – Kozhikode: 1 kaasu, 12 anna (current rate: Rs 78)
Manjeri – Kozhikode: 1 kaasu, 8 anna (current rate: Rs 55)
Malappuram – Kozhikode: 1 kaasu, 8 anna (current rateRs 58)
Other fares
Nilambur – Feroke: 2 kaasu, 6 anna
Manjeri – Feroke: 1 kaasu, 6 anna
Nilambur – Vazhikadavu: 8 anna
Note: Kaasu was a small denomination coin of the Travancore kingdom and it was made of low-value metal.