Services of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) were yet again disrupted due to shortage of diesel at Kanhangad and Kasaragod depots in the district.
According to sources, the delay in payment to agencies supplying fuel to the depots has led to the crisis. At present, two agencies are supplying diesel to the KSRTC in the district.
The Kanhangad depot alone requires 40,000 litres of diesel for two days. Over 90 services, including inter-state services, are operated from the Kasaragod depot.
“The agencies have delivered diesel, which can be used till Monday. However, if the fuel does not arrive by Sunday night, operating services from Kanhangad will be difficult,” said a KSRTC official on condition of anonymity.
Unlike in other States, the KSRTC directly pays to agencies delivering fuel. However, the delay in payment will put the agencies in difficulty, as they have to purchase fuel from oil companies, he said, adding that the agencies could not supply fuel on credit for more than two days. The constant rise in fuel prices has hit the corporation hard, the official said.
Incidentally, the operation of old buses has resulted in a rise in fuel consumption and maintenance cost.
