THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Parallel transport services operated in various parts of the district are proving to be a major drain on the revenue of the KSRTC.
The Neyyattinkara depot is the worst affected. The daily collection in the depot has come down from Rs 11 lakh to Rs 7 lakh. The KSRTC officers blame it on the rise in number of parallel services.
“The district has around 3,500 parallel services. Most of them operate on the Neyyattinkara-Kattakada-Vellarada route. They operate with impunity with local support,” said Chief Traffic Manager of KSRTC G Anilkumar.
The KSRTC’s efforts to curb parallel services have not been successful so far. It has formed three squads with the officers of the KSRTC, the Motor Vehicles Department and the police.
The KSRTC management blames the local political support, especially by the CITU, and non-cooperation of the police in the enforcement drive. Though the squad managed to fine those operating the illegal service, it has to face the ire of the CITU. Last week, when the squad stopped a parallel service at Maranellur on Neyyattinkara-Kattakada route, it had to face the ire of local people.
“We do not get enough support from the police. Earlier the attacks used to have tacit support from the CITU. Now its leaders are coming out in the open to attack us,” said a senior officer with the MVD. According to him, many KSRTC employees are running parallel services with the support of the CITU on the Neyyattinkara-Kattakada route.
On May 24, a mob led by the vice-chairman of the Neyyattinkara municipality and area secretary of the Bus Transport Workers Federation (CITU) K K Shibu and CPM local committee member Padmakumar prevented the squad from carrying out their duties for almost one hour.
In March, two officers of the Neyyattinkara Sub Regional Transport Office were attacked by a group of 12 people, suspected to be sent by parallel service operators, at Amaravila. The attack was a retaliatory act after the MVD seized illegal services in the area.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8n3YirZ4S4
The local CITU leadership, however, is of the view that the parallel service is part of the transportation system in the region. “We are not against the KSRTC becoming profitable. But parallel services have been of great help to the people here for the past 30 years. A lot of families depend on it,” he said.
