Fuel-saving measures adopted by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) have resulted in a savings of ₹5.60 crore monthly during March and April in fuel bill for the utility.
The overall fuel efficiency of 4.17 km for a litre of diesel for the 6,300-strong fleet in February this year has gone up to 4.27 km in March and 4.29 km in April through a slew of measures initiated by the mechanical wing, a senior KSRTC official told The Hindu . This was achieved by drivers maintaining a steady speed, avoiding rash driving, high acceleration, and mechanical defects, he said.
Study conducted
The measures were based on the feedback and a study conducted on the Thiruvananthapuram- Nagercoil sector where the KSRTC and the Tamil Nadu State Road Transport Corporation operate schedules using the same type of vehicles.
While the KSRTC had been able to achieve fuel efficiency of 4.25 to 4.4 km, the study found that the TNSRTC achieved 4.8 to 5 km. He said the KSRTC had set up a State-level fuel cell to im’prove fuel efficiency and achieve the goal of 4.’5 k.m. for the fleet. Depot-wise monitoring of the process was also on.
The breakdown rate of buses that was 0.39 per 1,000 km in 2017 had come down to 0.24 in 2018. The reduction in rate was due to a ‘super check’ introduced for the vehicles and entrusting a fixed number of buses to mechanics to clear all defects before commencing schedules. Assistant works managers were in charge of this initiative.
Taking a cue from the model followed by the TNSRTC, the KSRTC had also decided to have permanent buses, drivers, and conductors for the schedules. “This will allow the crew to provide good service and reach out to commuters,” he added.
