The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has suffered a huge loss in the floods with a unit swept away in a landslip, eight depots getting fully submerged, 15 partially, and schedules getting crippled.
The KSRTC could operate only 2,598 of the 5,588 schedules on Saturday. The revenue from the fleet that was ₹6.5 crore on an average plummeted to ₹2.5 crore on August 17.
The Kattapana unit of the KSRTC, including the workshop, was swept away in a landslip.
Piravom, Malappally, Ranni, Aluva, Angamaly, Chengannur, Chalakudy, Irattupetta are the depots that went under water in the floods. Ernakulam, Kothamangalam, Iranjalakuda, Mala, Pudukkad, Kumily, Munnar, Nedunkandam, North Paravoor, Perumbavoor, Muvattupuzha, Pandalam, Pathanamthitta, Konni, and Aryankavu depots were partially submerged.
The KSRTC is operating services along the national highway from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam and from Thrissur to Kozhikode and Kasaragod, KSRTC CMD Tomin J. Thachankary said. On the Ernakulam-Thrissur route, trucks are being operated from Athani to Kalamaserry to ferry KSRTC commuters.
Along MC Road, the KSRTC is operating services from Thiruvananthapuram up to Adoor, Thrissur to Angamaly, Vytilla Hub to Vaikom, Thrissur to Palakkad, Malappuram to Kozhikode, Palakkad to Kozhikode, and Kozhikode to Thrissur.
The KSRTC also operated 30 low-floor air-conditioned buses for those proceeding to Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode international airports till 4 p.m. on Saturday.
On inter-State routes, it is operating services from Kozhikode to Mysuru and Bengalaru via Thamaraserry.
Inter-State services are also running from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengalaru and Kozhikode via Nagercoil.
A total of 176 buses of the KSRTC were given for disaster management purposes and for moving defence and police personnel.
The KSRTC has set up control rooms (telephone 0471-2463799 and mobile 94470 71021) to operate more services once water recedes from the flooded roads.
