Offering ticket to future; Kannur gets bus with solar-powered AC

Kannur: A newly launched city bus service in Kannur is offering commuters a ticket to the future. The service, operated by the Sangeeth Tours and Travels in Kannadipparambu-Kannur Hospital route, provides its passengers with a comfortable travel experience in an air-conditioned coach, and that too at normal rates.

The bus draws the energy for operating its AC system from the solar panels installed on its rooftop. Since the AC is not connected to the vehicle’s engine, it does not cause additional fuel consumption and, more significantly, no extra cost to the passengers. This novel concept is the latest of several additions that Satheesh Chemmarathil, owner of the bus company, has introduced in his buses over the years.

Eight years ago, he had introduced a GPS-based announcement system in one of his buses. The AC system has been installed with the permission of the Motor Vehicles Department. Hearing about the initiative, the bus operator has now received a call from the office of Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar. The Split AC, which also results in saving fuel and cutting emissions, has been installed with the technical support of CoolWell, a firm run by the Welfare Association of Kannur Expatriates.

While Satheesh spent about five lakh rupees to develop and implement the system, bus operators looking to install it will have to spend only around Rs 3.5 lakhs. Satheesh, a native of Kannadipparambu here, has been working in Dubai and launched the Sangeeth Tours and Travels 10 years ago.