Mobility hub to open doors to private buses

KOCHI: As the city is getting choked with traffic by the day, plans are afoot to halt buses plying on a few long distance routes at the Vyttila Mobility Hub.The Vyttila Mobility Hub Society (VMHS) is in the process of finalising the modalities of bringing in private buses too into the hub within a fortnight. The proposal got the much-needed thrust at the coordination meeting of the Regional Transport Officer, District Transport Officer, Kochi City Police and the consultants for the mobility hub project, KITCO, held on Tuesday.The mobility hub — which presently accommodates only KSRTC buses coming via the Muvattupuzha-Tripunithura route — will soon see private buses coming via the Kottayam- Vaikom-Tripunithura route stopping by, initially on an experimental basis.VMHS managing director M Beena told ‘City Express’, “The plans to bay private buses coming via the Kottayam route will be implemented on an experimental basis. If successful, we  plan to go ahead with the decision to bay private buses coming from other routes too.”But wouldn’t such a decision create more congestion at the already choked Vytilla Junction?Beena said it was a step towards realising the aim of decongesting the city of long distance buses. “We are implementing the decisions step by step. Even though we may confront teething troubles as the move would increase the flow of traffic, it would be helpful in the long run,” she said.The Kaniyanpuzha Road leading to the entrance of the mobility hub is currently being used by the KSRTC buses.“The private buses will also be using this route,” said Beena. Once the roads are widened, the traffic will ease, she said. But the widening work of the roads  in the region seems to be at a standstill. PWD executive engineer T I Jose said, “The widening work of the Vytilla-Petta road which has been sanctioned is presently at a standstill. If we have to widen the road, the electrical sub-station on the other side of the road will have to be relocated. But the sub-station authorities are against it as it would require `100 crore to shift their base. The local shop owners are also against it. Bringing more buses into the picture would only create more traffic problems.”