The success story of the city services introduced by the North Eastern Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) in the headquarters of the districts coming under its jurisdiction has caught the attention of the road transport corporations in the country.
The city bus services introduced by the NEKRTC are the cheapest in the country. Besides that, NEKRTC reduced the passenger fares in the city services even after the steady increase in the prices of diesel. The passenger fares range from a minimum of Rs. 3 to a maximum of Rs. 12. Managing Director of the NEKRTC G.N. Shivamurthy spoke to The Hindu on the success story of NEKRTC. High passenger load factor in the city services is one of the major reasons for keeping the fares low. And, even though the fares are low, NEKRTC has shown that the earning per km (EPKM) in the city services was high and more than viable EPKM.
While the average EPKM of the city bus services is Rs. 30 in the NEKRTC-operated districts, the viable EPKM for operating the city services is Rs. 26. The highest EPKM of Rs. 37 is from the Vijayapura city services operated in Bijapur city, followed by Rs. 33 from Bellary, Rs. 31.50 from Yadgir, Rs. 29.50 from Gulbarga, Rs. 29.25 from Bidar, Rs. 26 from Hospet, and Rs. 25 from Bellary.
Mr. Shivamurthy added that within a month the city bus services would be introduced in Raichur and Koppal.
At present, of the 175 new buses introduced by the NEKTRC, 60 are running in Gulbarga, 40 in Bijapur, 33 in Bellary, 18 in Hospet, 16 in Bidar, and 8 in Yadgir. It is proposed to introduce 75 more buses to the existing fleet in this region this year.
According to Mr. Shivamurthy, the NEKRTC has sent a proposal to the government for the inclusion of Gulbarga under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Rural Mission (JNNURM), and sanction required funds for purchasing 50 buses this year.
With NEKRTC extending its services to major cities in its jurisdiction, people have welcomed the move and are demanding that the frequency of NEKRTC buses be increased. Mr. Shivamurthy said NEKRTC would provide services to more areas in the coming days.
