The cash-strapped Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has suffered another setback with the undertaking forced to close 25 depots in the State due to COVPD-19 restrictions and bus crew getting infected.
The closure of depots has badly hit the revenue from the fleet that is facing poor patronage due to the pandemic-induced lockdown and public keeping away from transport modes.
Despite the hurdles, the ‘Relay’ services of the KSRTC from the capital to Thrissur are operating along with the inter-district services for the benefit of the travelling public. “The patronage is less in all the services and it is the social commitment behind the operations,” a top official told The Hindu .
The Neyyattinkara depot in the capital district is the last to be closed down on Wednesday after a conductor tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The non-stop Bus on Demand (BonD) services from Neyattinkara to Thiruvananthapuram launched recently was also called off.
Kattakada depot in Thiruvananthapuram was closed on Tuesday after a conductor on special duty for the buses provided to transport those arriving in chartered flights at the international airport tested positive for the pandemic.
The units remaining closed are Vizhinjam, Arayanad, Parasala, Pappanamcode, Thiruvananthapuram central, Vikas Bhavan, Peroorkada, Thiruvananthapuram City, Venjaramood, Poovar, Kattakada, Neyyattinkara, Kottarakara, Chadayamangalam, Punalur, Aryankavu, Kulathupuzha, Adoor, Pathanamthitta, Kayamkulam, Cherthala, Aluva, Irinjalakuda, Ponnani and Vadakara. In addition, KSRTC’s Aluva workshop was also closed.
“So far 10 personnel of the KSRTC had tested positive. We had taken all precautions to ensure the safety of the crew and other staff who come in contact with the public. But, the depots falling in the notified containment zones has led to this situation,” the official said.
Once the depots are closed, the buses and the offices are sanitised under the supervision of the health wing. But, the depots can reopen and commence services only after the district administration gives the nod.
