Severe travel crisis on Kozhikode-Guruvayur route

Kozhikode: There was a time when there were frequent private bus services, every 5-10 minutes, on the Kozhikode-Guruvayur route. A total of 39 private buses operated daily to and fro along this route. 

Presently, a mere 13 private buses ply along this route forcing travelers to wait for over an hour to get another bus if they miss one.  The private bus owners attribute this crisis to the cancellation of the permits of  private buses going more than 140 kms to be replaced by KSRTC buses which came into force on 1 March. 

The woes of travelers will only increase when the permits of the current buses come to an end and those 13 buses will then need to seek alternate routes, the Kozhikode district vice president of private bus owners association, Rineesh argued.

Earlier, a long distance permit was given only to buses that traveled for a distance of more than 140 kms. The distance between Kozhikode and Guruvayur is 111 km. To achieve a 140 km distance permit, the norm was to begin the service from a small town somewhere in Kannur or Kozhikode. 

In response, the Kozhikode depot authorities clarified that there are transport buses every half hour coming from various places on the Kozhikode-Guruvayur route and that there are 31 services along this path on a daily basis. Most of these bus services cross the Ponnani, Chamaravattam bridge, authorities added. AC buses are not offered by KSRTC on the Guruvayur route. 

This shortage of private buses will cause a great inconvenience to elderly people and those coming from interior locations to visit the Guruvayur temple. Due to the lack of buses, a majority of the people get down at the Kuttipuram, Kunnamkulam stop and change buses. It is a great challenge to get into a bus from this stop. 

Travelers will be in jeopardy even if they chose the railway route. The trains that service this route like the Kannur-Alappuzha executive express, Kannur-Coimbatore local, Parasuram express, etc. are often filled to the brim with passengers. The elderly and young children find it difficult to travel under such circumstances.