KOCHI: New permits to run Thiru-Kochi buses are unlikely to materialise. With the private bus owners securing a High Court order staying Clause Four of the nationalisation policy by the state government, issuing new permits for Thiru-Kochi buses will be difficult.According to Clause Four, permits of private buses which overlap the nationalised routes in more than 5-km-stretch cannot be renewed. If permits of these buses are cancelled, Thiru-Kochi buses could have been introduced in such routes. Owing to the stay, the government will have to find alternative means to issue permits to Thiru-Kochi buses. "Though the court stayed the Clause Four of the nationalisation policy, new routes can be notified as nationalised routes," said T J Thomas, RTO, Ernakulam. But the state government can issue only temporary notification for nationalisation. It can regularise the order if nobody comes up against the decision within a year. Given the precedents, the bus operators are likely to challenge the notification. In such a case, it will not be easy for the government to go ahead with the move. Before the state went for the Assembly elections, the government had plans to start 100 more Thiru-Kochi buses in the city. The government had earmarked funds in the last budget for buying the buses. As elections were round the corner, the government could not issue administrative orders.An average of 22 Thiru-Kochi services are being cancelled every day due to shortage of officials. It has been causing inconvenience to the commuters in the city and suburbs. The officials with the KSRTC in the district made it clear that they had informed the employment exchange regarding the shortage of drivers. "We have requested the employment exchange to provide us with 250 drivers. We are waiting for them to respond," said V V Sasi, zonal officer, KSRTC, Ernakulam.Adding to the woes of passengers, many private buses plying in the city had stopped services. Many of them have cut short the trips, especially during the night.
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