A Tale of Unconventional Love: How a KSRTC Bus and a Kumily Hotel Found Each Other!
By Sachin Mathews Mani
You come out of a four star heritage hotel in Kumily and the first thing to meet the eye is a Kerala State Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Bus parked in the Hotel Compound making you wonder why a KSRTC Bus is parked here!
If you were in Kumily a couple of years ago and had lunch at the Hotel Ambadi then there would be no need to wonder for this used to be a regular afternoon scene there.
To come back to the present KSRTC completed its 85th birth anniversary on 20th February 2023. The State Corporation is now going through the toughest time in its history, and we all hope it will rise again to its past glory. The emotional bond between KSRTC and Keralites is very deep; no wonder KSRTC is a part of the Malayalee lifestyle.
There have been many instances of bonding between KSRTC Buses and the people of the State but this is the only instance when a Hotel fell in love with a Bus Service.
How the Romance Began
Well, here is how it all began! Over forty years ago, the Kumily – Kottayam – Vaikom – Ernakulam bus service was commenced by the Ernakulam Bus Depot and was subsequently operated by the Kumily Depot. During the eighties Kumily was not as big a Town as it is now. The number of hotels and shops were fewer, and not enough facilities were found in the bus stand for the passengers.
Prior to the introduction of the bus service, goods transportation to the high-ranges; especially to Kumily and Kattapana was difficult. The goods transportation was mainly by bullock carts, which were slower but more economical. However, hotels needed fresh goods on a daily basis, so they needed a fast logistics system. This felt need was subsequently satisfied by the KSRTC.
Forty years ago, Kumily was not as big a town as you now witness. The number of hotels and shops were fewer, and there were not enough facilities at the bus stand for the passengers.
During that period, the bus was parked in front of the Hotel Ambadi. The hotelier was a person from Vaikom.
The bus service would commence from Ernakulam and Vaikom. Goods to this hotel were dispatched to Kumily from Vaikom through this KSRTC bus. The driver and conductors used to be provided free meals by the hotel until the very last day as long as the service was in operation. The tradition continued for decades, even after the ownership of the Hotel changed hands.
KSRTC fans used to refer to this service as ‘Ambady Fast’. KSRTC lovers give pet names to their favorite buses and this probably was the only bus service named after a hotel.
The hotel management also had a great emotional connect with the bus. It is said that one day due to an unexpected change in the schedule, the bus couldn’t reach the hotel and the owner called the Kumily Depot to enquire why the bus hadn’t got there.
In 2004 the service was transferred to the Kumily depot and continued its operation until 2020 when due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the service was temporally shut down.
This service had been a profitable, popular service for Kumily but unfortunately it didn’t restart even after all the restrictions were revoked.
However the lovers and fans of KSRTC living in Kumily are eagerly waiting for the resurrection of their favorite ‘Ambady Fast’.
It’s heartwarming, to see such unique relationships between a bus and a hotel. Relationships between humans are common, Relationships between humans and objects are also found but the relationship between two non-living objects was indeed a rare sight and the stuff that makes for good folklore.
