It’s not every bus journey that offers a spectacular view of the mountains, lush, green forests and the wildlife. An old model bus that sets off from Pathanamthitta to Kumily every morning, however, is one of its kind.
Starting off at 6.30 a.m., it winds past the countryside Pathanamthitta, reserve forests and picture-perfect water reservoirs to reach Kumily, Idukki district, by 12.30 noon. And for those who alight at Gavi-- a major stopover en route, an even greater pleasure awaits.
The flagship service, which has now become a major tourist draw in the State, is all set to be upgraded further with the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation deciding to launch one more bus in the sector. Starting Sunday, a new bus will commence its journey from Pathanamthitta at 5.30 a.m. to reach Kumily by 11.30 a.m. The return trip leaves Kumily at 12.30 noon to reach here by 6.30 p.m.
Commenting on the service, officials at the KSRTC station, Pathanamthitta, hinted at a slight change in the bus schedule in future to avoid it clashing with the existing two services respectively from Pathanamathitta and Kumily. The new service, according to them, is in response to a long-pending demand by local residents and tourists for improved connectivity to Gavi – a major eco-tourism destination. ``The service has been receiving a huge response with people including those outside the State often queuing up at the station here since the wee hours of the day and jostling for a space inside the bus. Its huge popularity, however, had an adverse effect on the travel plans of those residing at Gavi and other regular commuters while the presence of several hairpin bends and deep groges has made the overcrowding even more dangerous. It was against this backdrop that we approached the Forest department for permission to operate another service along the route,’’ explained an official.
The KSRTC Pathanamthitta depot’s monthly collection from the Gavi service is around ₹7.5 lakh. The average daily collection, which stands around ₹20,000 , goes up to ₹30,000 on holidays. The 36-seater KSRTC bus, launched about two decades ago, shot to fame with the release of a popular Malayalam film Ordinary.
