Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Transport Minister C P John on Tuesday thanked the Calicut City Service Cooperative Society for donating a bus to the state-run KSRTC, calling it a strong example of public participation in strengthening public sector institutions.

In a Facebook post, John said the cooperative society had set a precedent by using Rs 40 lakh from its public welfare fund to purchase a KSRTC bus, in what he described as the first such initiative in the history of the state-run transport corporation.

The minister also thanked the society and C N Vijayakrishnan, chairman and director of the MVR Cancer Centre, who had taken the initiative for the project.

John said the society had requested the launch of a KSRTC service from Kozhikode to Parambikulam via Palakkad and Muthalamada, which he said would help address the travel difficulties faced by passengers and government employees in the region.

The proposed service would also give a fresh impetus to the tourism potential of Parambikulam, he said.

The minister highlighted the need for more such initiatives, saying public participation could help protect and strengthen public transport.

He said the government was actively considering allowing cooperative societies to use their public welfare funds to support KSRTC and that a favourable decision would be taken soon.

John also urged local bodies, cooperative institutions and elected representatives to follow the example set by the Calicut City Service Cooperative Society, saying such people-centric initiatives could help the government achieve its target of putting 2,000 new buses on the roads.

"People's cooperation is the greatest strength in protecting public transport," the minister added.