High price, inconvenient schedule, toilet defects mar Navakerala bus service

Kozhikode: The iconic Navakerala bus was flagged off as a public carrier in the Kozhikode – Bengaluru route with much fanfare. However, it is assumed that the schedule of the luxury bus may not be convenient for the passengers. The bus departs from the Kozhikode bus terminal at 4 am. Even those who are staying close to the city will have to get ready by 3 to catch the bus. Meanwhile, passengers from various places in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts too have to reach the terminal quite early. Besides, the bus won’t reach Bengaluru by 11.30 am, as scheduled, due to traffic blocks. The passengers will be able to reach the destination only by noon. So, most people complain that they lose half a day.

Demand to change schedule
The bus begins its return trip at 2.30 pm and is supposed to reach Kozhikode by 10 pm. However, the bus would be able to reach Kozhikode only at midnight as it may get stuck in heavy traffic. Moreover, the passengers may find it difficult to get transportation from here at this time. They say that it would be more convenient if the schedule is changed. If the bus departs at 6 am then they would be able to reach Bengaluru by evening. So, the passengers will not have to leave home as early as 2 am.

Meanwhile, the bus could begin its return trip at 8 pm and reach Kozhikode by 4 next morning. Then the passengers who need to get to other places from here would be able to find transportation. The singular bus that was used for the Navakerala yathra is operating service in the Garuda Premium category. So, it cannot run service only at night. Two buses are required to operate services during the night; otherwise the service could be scheduled only on alternate days. Moreover, it may not be feasible to charge the same ticket fares from both Kozhikode and Kalpetta. The passengers say that it is not profitable for them to spend Rs 1240 to travel to Bengaluru from Kalpetta as they could easily purchase tickets in an airconditioned bus for just Rs 700. So, they ask to fix the ticket pricing as per stage rate. Besides, the seats on the Navakerala bus aren’t as big as the ones in multi-axel buses.

Toilet defects
It would cost around Rs 35,000 for the bus to run a service to Bengaluru and return to Kozhikode. The bus may be able to collect a revenue of Rs 62,000 in an entire trip to Bengaluru and back at full capacity. The service would be in profit only if it is able to collect such revenue on a regular basis. However, passengers point out that it would be possible only if the schedule of the Navakerala bus is changed. The flush of the toilet was also damaged after its first journey. On its second day of service, the bus left for Bengaluru without toilet facility.