I can’t count the times I have waited for one of the relatively new JnNURM AC Volvo buses plying in our city. I would wait long enough and unsure about actually seeing one and give up and step into one of the many private buses. I have seen the nice orange buses ply all around the city with the people smartly tucked inside the wide and open glasses of Volvos. But never have I gotten the opportunity to step into one of them. The AC Volvos are a common sight in Bangalore and is quite easy to get one as you just have to wait at one of their bus terminals or stops and you are bound to see one or two that will head in your direction. Where as in Kochi there is always an air of uncertainty on when or whether the bus will ever come by your bus stop.
Who knows the timings? No one, these buses just started plying one day without a proper system and notification of route. No offense to the people at the KSRTC who are doing a good job introducing these city buses which are nothing short of a boon for Kochiites, but where the heck are the timings?? Apparently is all neatly tucked away at their website for public access and heck we thought why not share to all our fellow Kochiites.
I sure want to know the timing of the next bus that will come by my area, wouldn’t you want to? So here they are people.

TIMINGS

Timing for JNK8

Timing for JNK9

Timing for JNK10

Timing for JNK11

Timing for JNK12

Timing for JNK13

Happy commuting!

Ministry of Urban Development has approved “Broadway & Ernakulam Market Heritage Urban Renewal Project” for Kochi in Kerala under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) for sanctioning of projects under Sub Mission I of UIG under (JNNURM) has approved this new project for Kochi in its 82nd meeting held under the chairmanship of the Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development.

The aim of the project is to create integrated pedestrian zone which will bind heritage zone and shopping activities into a well connected urban heritage precinct and will improve traffic and parking management in the area. It will retain heritage importance of the place while improve pedestrian related infrastructure and shopping related facilities. Revenue generation from the area will also improve as a result of environment improvement through betterment charges and other rentals. As a whole it will improve heritage and urban image ability of Kochi Heritage Zone 3 to make it a more popular shopping and safe pedestrian environment.

The project will be implemented by Kochi Municipal Corporation and will take a period of 24 months for completion.

The indecision over the management of the Brahmapuram Solid Waste Treatment Plant continues with the Kochi Corporation considering the option of assigning the task to an NGO. An earlier proposal for entrusting the task with a private agency was dropped, as it demanded a considerable amount for carrying out the repair works and running the plant. The corporation had been seeking some agencies for running the plant it had established with the support of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

The private agency demanded Rs.2.5 lakh a day for operating the plant, which was unaffordable for the civic body. Moreover, they didn’t have the expertise for running such a venture. The civic body cannot take the risk of assigning such an important responsibility to an inexperienced agency.The Brahmapuram issue has attained political overtones in the Corporation Council with the Congress-led opposition raking up the issue of faulty performance and defects that the machinery had developed.

The Opposition councillors had also staged a sit-in dharna outside the chamber of the Kochi Mayor last week demanding an inquiry by the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau into the setting up of the plant and related issues.Meanwhile, the corporation has initiated a discussion with Centre for Environment and Development, which is running a project for solid waste management in Thiruvananthapuram city. The agency was selected as the centre for excellence by the Ministry of Urban Development. It was also the regional resource agency of the Ministry of Environment and Forests and also the accredited agency of Kerala government for solid waste management and participatory resource mapping, according to its website.

The government has initiated a discussion for the Kochi Corporation with the agency.A political decision will have to be taken regarding the selection of the agency.The rates and other factors have not been discussed. The civic authorities hope that the agency may agree to run the plant on a no loss-no profit basis.

The premium buses aimed at increasing the revenue of the KSRTC have proved to be doing just the opposite , they are now running at  huge losses . Inadequate passenger patronage and the escalating dissonance between the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and the civic agencies in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram have resulted in the 15 Volvo buses operating in the two cities incurring losses.

The buses with automatic transmission, each of which costs Rs. 80 lakh, need an income of Rs.50 per km to operate on a no-profit no-loss basis. The average income in Kochi is Rs.36 per km, while that in Thiruvananthapuram is Rs.28 per km. In January first week, the seven buses plying in Kochi earned an average of Rs.40 per km, while those in the State capital got Rs.35 per km.

At present, the four buses on the Aroor-Angamaly route fetch Rs.38 per km, while the two on the Fort Kochi-International Airport route earn Rs.35 per km. The total earnings from the six buses fell from Rs.81,930 on January 2 to Rs.78,090 on Thursday. Each 40-seater bus runs an average of 330 km a day and records an average occupancy of 55 per cent, down from 60 per cent a fortnight ago.

The earning is down to Rs.11,880 a bus, down from Rs.13,000 a fortnight ago. The cost of operating a km in Kochi is lower than in Thiruvananthapuram because many roads in the capital have been dug up for laying water pipelines. The buses plying in Kochi have a mileage of 2.50 km per litre of diesel, while it is 2.25 kmpl in the capital city.

Due to lack in Parking facilities ?

KSRTC MD T.P. Senkumar said that passenger patronage would increase only if the Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram Corporations readied pay-and-park facilities for cars and two-wheelers near bus stops, and provided better shelters for commuters awaiting the buses. Referring to the two Corporations demanding a stake in running the Volvo-bus fleet, he said that the respective RTC’s in other States own and operate premium buses purchased under the JNNURM scheme.

In the case of Kochi, KSRTC will spend Rs.72 crore on the total of 50 Volvo, 120 non-AC low-floor and 30 mini buses under the scheme. The Kochi Corporation has not committed any of its funds for the project. If the civic agencies cannot provide better amenities to commuters, let them run the services using their workers.

Wooing passengers

The schedules in the capital will be modified in a week, to attract more passengers. In Kochi, the KSRTC plans to market the premium buses by installing boards that mention the stops and timings of the buses, at prominent locales. It might also increase the number of stops. Three weeks since it began operating in Kochi, many people do not know that they can travel in air-conditioned comfort up to 5 km, by paying the minimum fare of Rs.10.

Earmarking pay-and-park centres will take time. Since the buses ply mostly along the highway (except in West Kochi), the KSRTC must take up the issue of bus shelters with the PWD and the NHAI. The RTC must give publicity to its bus stops and timings and reassure people about the promptness of the services, to make the services more effective.

Clearly , we are a city that has a lot of people who are ready to pay the cost whatsoever in travelling in such buses. So park you expensive vehicles at home, and start traveling in these uber comfortable buses at very economical prices.  That way , we are also finding a solution to the traffic issues, one that Cochin is very famous for.

And as for those people who are still questioning the routes the buses ply on , the RTC is looking into the matter , and hopefully will come up with smart decisions .

Related posts on KochiVibe : Click

Broadway, the shopping hub of the city, will become a showcase of Kochi heritage if a project for restoring its past glory is cleared. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) authorities will consider the Broadway heritage conservation project submitted by the civic authorities soon. The heritage experts, under the auspices of the Centre for Heritage Environment and Development and the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project, have submitted a Rs. 30-crore-project for the conservation efforts of the Broadway. Though the Mission authorities had in principle approved the projects earlier, they sought clarifications and additional details regarding the project.

The project also needs to be cleared by the central steering and monitoring committee of the Mission. The committee will meet on January 11, and the Broadway project is expected to come up before it.

Changes : There will not be any additional constructions at the Broadway. Instead, the dilapidated structures will be rebuilt according to the original structure. Uniformity in architecture including the facade will be ensured and a common colour code will be introduced to the buildings in the area so as to highlight the grandeur of the heritage area. Installation of heritage road furniture, public amenities like telephone booths, drinking water points, street lighting, beautification of the Ernakulam market and preservation of the nearby water bodies will also be undertaken as part of the project.

Support from locals :The civic authorities hope to get the support of the trading community and the organisations of the traders in implementing the project. A few rounds of discussions were also held with the representatives of the organisations of the traders and business community to ensure their participation in the project.

Side Effects : Once the project is implemented, vehicular movement along broadway would be restricted. The trucks and lorries bringing merchandise will be permitted to enter the area only during the night hours.The option of allowing cycles along the broadway is also being considered by the authorities. The vehicles bringing people to the area will be directed to parking lots and the shoppers can either move on cycles or take a walk along the road.

How long will the project take to complete it take if commissioned ? : The project will not need much time to take off, as no land acquisition is required for it. The Mission would release its share of Rs. 15 crore—half of the project cost— once the project is cleared. The State government and the Kochi corporation will have to raise its share for implementing the project.

Here’s news ppl. ! Seven of the 50 low-floor Volvo buses earmarked for Kochi under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme will begin service in the city from Wednesday.

They would be inaugurated at Vytilla Junction on Monday evening  by the Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs K.V. Thomas.

Details of the bus routes : Three buses will ply on the Fort Kochi-NH bypass-International Airport route, a distance of 45 km that will be covered in 1 hour and 35 minutes. The fare for the full stretch would be Rs 70 and there would be 27 halts on the route. The other four buses will conduct services along the 43-km Aroor-NH bypass-Angamaly route in 1 hour 30 minutes. The fare for the entire journey is Rs 68 and there will be 27 halts.

Bus timings and fares : The buses will conduct seven services from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., said Mayor Mercy Williams, at a press conference  organised on  Saturday .  Passengers can travel up to 5 km by paying the minimum fare of Rs 10. They can travel  each additional km in air-conditioned comfort for Rs 1.50. The fare comes to just around one-fourth of the taxi  fare.

The Mayor Mercy Williams  said the bus services  would have more  passenger patronage than in  Thiruvavanthapuram (where the KSRTC operates eight such buses) since businessmen, entrepreneurs and a  sizeable floating population dominate Kochi’s population. They would be willing to pay the higher fare for public  transport. The Kochiites’ fad for going on frequent outings and shopping too  would ensure a higher passenger  preference than in the State capital, Ms Williams said.

What more to expect ? : In addition to the 50 buses, the KSRTC is to  introduce 120 non-AC low-floor Ashok Leyland  buses and 30 mini buses in the city under the JNNURM scheme, to encourage car, autorickshaw and bike  passengers to shift to a comfortable mode of public transport. The adjustable platform of the low-floor buses  helps easy boarding and alighting. There is a special facility for wheelchair-bound passengers. Their chairs can be fixed inside the 42-seater bus. An on-board diagnostic system helps the driver to detect mechanical problems.

Twenty drivers and 20 conductors have undergone training at Volvo’s training centre in Bangalore. They also attended a refresher course recently in Kochi. The next set of buses will join the fleet based  on the feedback received for the  first set. The Corporation of Cochin has requested the State government to constitute a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for managing the fleet so  that it too has a say in decision-making .

What does all this mean ??? Well , the answer is quite simple. Luxury & Convenience ..!  Kudos to JNNURM and the State Government.