The State government has initiated steps to make the loss-making Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) viable, Minister for Transport Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan has said.
After inspecting the Rs.65-crore modern bus terminal complex of the KSRTC at Thampanoor on Friday, the Minister said discussions with recognised trade unions had been initiated.
“It is time consuming and a big challenge and the government expects whole-hearted support of the KSRTC staff,” he said.
Stating that two to three options were before the government, Mr. Radhakrishnan said the trade unions would support the initiative as they were socially committed. “Leaders of political parties whom we have contacted were positive to the initiatives,” he said.
Fare revision
Replying to a query on hiking bus fares, the Minister said the report of the M. Ramachandran Fare Revision Committee was pending with the government. “No formal decision had been taken on the recommendations,” he said. The Minister said the bus terminal at Thampanoor would be formally opened for the public on February 3 by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
The Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation, which funded the BOT project, would handover the keys to the corporation by January 25.
The Minister said the terminal would be ready for operation by February 3.
The land cost, civil works, and other facilities in the 12-storey building had come to around Rs.240 crore. Mr. Radhakrishnan said the bus terminal project had to be made viable to recover the money utilised for raising the landmark project.
Transport Secretary V.M. Gopala Menon, Chairman and Managing Director of the KSRTC K.G. Mohanlal, Managing Director of the KTDFC B. Ushadevi, and top officials accompanied the Minister.
Implemented in the build, operate, transfer (BOT) mode, the work on the terminal started on March 22, 2012.
The complex is among the six taken up jointly by the KSRTC and the KTDFC.
