Nava Kerala bus 'missing' since July 21; What happened to Bengaluru service?

KOZHIKODE: The government had bragged the Navakerala bus as the new big thing in Kerala road transport which they expected to rope in big money. Moreover, many marketed the bus as the one chosen by chief minister and his entourage of ministers to travel all across Kerala. The bus started service on the Kozhikode-Bengaluru route on May 5 amidst much ado but soon turned redundant.

Due to low passenger turnout, the bus stopped service on the route on July 21 and was brought to the workshop for repair. As of now, the bus is undergoing work at the Kozhikode KSRTC regional workshop. It is reported that repairs are being done on the bus, including the removal of the toilet and the installation of seats. KSRTC Kozhikode depot officials believe the bus to hit the roads by Onam.

The air-conditioned bus has 26 push-back seats. The ticket price is Rs 1171 inclusive of cess. Apart from the toilet, a hydraulic lift, washbasin, television, music system and mobile charger are available. There is also ample space to store luggage. The color of the bus remains unchanged from the time it was used during the Nava Kerala yatra.

The officials expected the introduction of the bus to be of huge success since there were only a paltry few KSRTC AC buses on the Kozhikode-Bengaluru route. The bus will leave Kozhikode at 4 in the morning and reaches Bengaluru at noon and returns at 2.30 in the afternoon. It is estimated that high ticket prices and inconvenient timings have kept passengers away from Nava Kerala bus and depend more on the Vande Bharat train.