The Vyttila Mobility Hub at 5.30 a.m. on Tuesday when there was total power outage.
Commuters who visited the Vyttila Mobility Hub (VMH) on Monday night and early Tuesday morning had a harrowing experience as the bus terminal was engulfed in darkness.
Even as sources in VMH Society attributed it to a snag in a transformer, which was set right by Tuesday noon, visitors were left pondering why there was no proper power backup in place on the premises, used by thousands of bus and metro commuters.
The condition of the 25-acre hub has turned from bad to worse over the past years, owing to tardy upkeep and delay in finalising the Phase-2 development work.
Blaming the VMH Society for the pitiable state of affairs, T.N. Pratapan, secretary of Vyttila Vikasana Samithi, said the inter-modal mobility hub, the first such project in Kerala, held much hope when it began functioning over a decade ago. “It has now become a hub for snakes and other reptiles since the premises are weed-infested and dirty. The worst part is that bus commuters and others have to endure back-breaking rides, since much of the paver blocks have given away or are undulated,” he added.
“There was little response, although I wrote to the Chief Minister and the Finance Secretary, highlighting how the Society had become ineffective in improving the hub’s condition,” he said.
Kannan P.R. from Kottarakkara, who is employed in Kochi and boards the bus from the hub to his hometown every week, said the poor maintenance of the premises had resulted in buses being parked in weed-infested areas. “The approach road to the hub and footpaths are narrow, unkept, and ill-lit. Encroachers and illegal parking on Kaniyampuzha Road have further added to the chaos,” he said.
With private vehicles being permitted to use the hub, it has become more accident-prone. There was also urgent need for a full-fledged eatery on the premises, he added.
Official sources said the damaged roads within the hub would be repaired under a ₹9-crore Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML) initiative, while an upcoming board meeting of VMH Society would take a call on the Phase-2 development work.
