At a time when the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is incurring huge operational losses, a fleet of at least 20 brand-new buses, purchased with borrowed money, remains idle at its Kozhikode regional workshop.
Most of these buses have obtained registration numbers, but they have not been allotted permit for conduct of services. Registration alone will not suffice for operators to conduct services as several other procedures need to be followed, officials say.
According to a KSRTC employee, such bureaucratic apathy comes to the fore when the corporation is faced with a grave financial crisis, not to mention workers’ unrest. A reason cited for procedural delays is an order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) last year on registration of diesel vehicles with engine capacity of 2,000cc and above.
The KSRTC authorities secured registration for the buses by April 1, the deadline set by the NGT. It was a year ago the chassis of the buses had reached the workshop. However, the bodies were built after several months.
Now, the corporation is faced with the daunting task of shifting the buses to a better shelter before the monsoon sets in. The vehicles have already occupied a great deal of space at the workshop, usurping the facilities of employees.
Moreover, shortage of staff and want of necessary equipment and modern tools continue to plague the shelter. As a result, workers are forced to manually remove and reinstall tyres during the periodical maintenance of buses.
Fares revised
Meanwhile, the corporation has converted all its nine Bengaluru-bound superfast buses to super express services. Five of them are regular schedules, while four are spare buses. These vehicles with push-back seats give better comfort to passengers. Accordingly, the fares have been revised. Nevertheless, the KSRTC has enhanced its revenue during the summer vacation, an official said.
At present, the corporation operates services from its Pavangad depot even though the bus station-cum-commercial complex on Mavoor Road was opened on June 1, 2015. The building is yet to get official nod for commencement of services.
Apart from a depot in Kozhikode city, the KSRTC operates services from Vadakara, Thamarassery, and Thiuvambady depots in the district. They include Kerala Urban Road Transport Corporation (KURTC) services too.
