Feeder buses for the upcoming Thiruvananthapuram-Kozhikode Bypass Rider service of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) have begun operations in the city on a trial basis, in the Vyttila-Menaka-Vyttila circular route.

Discernible by their orange and white stripes, they are operating in the corridor, linking much of the city hub with the NH Bypass. Each bus will operate seven trips, from morning till evening. These buses will operate as a service linking Vyttila Mobility Hub, where Bypass Rider services are expected to call at, and other parts of the city.

A senior KSRTC official said feeder services to other routes in the city too were on the anvil. They include ones to the Kalamassery industrial area and to Thevara.

The Bypass Rider buses that were to skip local KSRTC depots tucked away from the NH and operate through bypass corridors in different districts every hour, are expected to take two hours lesser than superfast buses that link Thiruvananthapuram with Kozhikode, much like the Chill Bus service that the KSRTC had introduced about four years ago using a few dozen of its low-floor Volvo fleet.

The Bypass Rider service, which was expected to be launched in February, will be a mix of semi-sleeper and air-suspension buses. The feeder buses will operate from different locales in towns beside NH 66 and M.C. Road to KSRTC depots where the long-distance buses will halt, thus providing first- and last-mile connectivity to commuters. They would offer free rides to commuters who had reserved tickets for the Bypass Rider buses, sources said.

A sound feeder network was crucial for the success of any mode of mass transport, be it buses or the metro rail, said an official involved in readying the feeder service.

The feeder service, which could take a few months to stabilise, is expected to ensure adequate patronage for the Bypass Rider and other buses (both KSRTC and private) that will converge at Vyttila Mobility Hub.