Electric buses in state are running at loss, Transport Dept will no longer agree to buy those buses; routes in Thiruvananthapuram will be rescheduled, says Ganesh Kumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar said that KSRTC electric buses introduced in the state are running at a loss and often earn meagre profits. He was speaking to the media after a discussion with the KSRTC unions.

"Fewer people ride on most electric buses. The bus fare is 10 rupees. These buses cannot accommodate hundreds of people at a time. Even if a large number of people board the bus, how much can be earned by charging just Rs 10 per person? All the routes running at a loss in Thiruvananthapuram district will be rescheduled," Ganesh Kumar said.

Electric buses do not have long-distance service in the state. The cost of this bus is close to Rs 1 crore. Four diesel buses can be bought with that money, the minister said.

"KSRTC suffered a huge loss due to electric buses. These buses also adversely affected the lives of autorickshaw drivers. The Transport Department will no longer agree to buy electric buses. We do not intend to cooperate with it," he said.

Apart from this, the Minister explained about the new projects and changes being implemented in KSRTC. He said that he held discussions with the Chief Minister regarding the payment of salaries in one instalment.