Bus Day to be observed on June 22

KOCHI: The city is getting ready to organise yet another Bus Day to encourage people to use bus to decongest roads, even as there are suggestions to widen roads to make bus travel faster.While the last Bus Day was held at the tourism zone of Fort Kochi, this time it is being planned in the city to grab the attention of the people, sources said. The proposal is to observe Bus Day from Kaloor to the High Court on June 22. Initially, the day was to be observed in the next week, but it was postponed.The Regional Transport Officer (RTO) T J Thomas said that nothing had been discussed about the programme. However, some new organisations were expected to join hands this time, he added.Plans are afoot to make the event more attractive by getting sponsors. “Bus Days are here to stay. The event is being held as part of the resolution to hold it once in every month. Once people get the hang of it, the day will be made a weekly affair,” sources said. Treasurer of the Private Bus Owners Association M B Satyan said private operators would extend all possible help to any such moves to encourage people to bank on buses. But he hastened to add that the initiative would be effective only if the roads were widened which would make travel faster.He said people would welcome attractive offers like that of the low-floor AC buses due to its comfort factor.  “It is wrong to blame people for not using the public transport facility. People cannot afford to get trapped in a traffic block. The public would use buses if the travel is comfortable,” he said.