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Kerala Kaumudi Online
Monday, 04 November 2024 3.45 AM IST

Why KSRTC is allergic to e-buses?

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The situation in KSRTC is such that if the government doesn't pay for a month, the salaries and pensions will be stopped. It does not seem that this situation will ever change if the present methods continue. If there is anyone in the state who is not convinced of this, it is the KSRTC and a good section of its employees. Except for the frequent introduction of reform measures that are not beneficial to the corporation or the people, there are no steps to bring the institution out of its present predicament. The transport sector around the world is turning to electric vehicles. In India too, rapid changes are taking place along that path. The Union Transport Ministry has directed that diesel vehicles should completely leave the roads by the next decade.

Whether this is possible or not, the production of electric vehicles is increasing significantly. Buses used for public transport in big cities are shifting almost entirely to electricity. The centre's special scheme is very helpful in this regard. The Centre is also promoting e-buses as a solution to the suffering caused by vehicular pollution. However, don't know why, Kerala has been turning a blind eye to this innovative idea. The state has taken over only a part of the e-buses that were earlier sanctioned by the Centre. These e-buses are not being utilized properly. There was even an attempt to slowly withdraw e-buses from city routes. The new transport minister is not very fond of e-vehicles!

Now the central government has announced a plan to distribute 38,000 e-buses among the states. While many states are vying to get more share, Kerala is turning its back on it. The 950 buses that the state was supposed to get under the earlier scheme, were lost for no apparent reason. Kerala can get 1,000 buses under the new scheme but there should be efforts for it. The Centre has come up with a plan to procure 38,000 electric buses in the next five years and give them to the state transport corporations. The state should get at least 1,000 buses. It should be remembered that the mismanagement causing to miss an opportunity to provide energy to KSRTC, which is struggling with no money to buy new vehicles.

These are e-buses which were supposed to benefit ten cities in the state. Since the private company supplying the bus will bear expenses including the driver and maintenance, the burden of KSRTC will be reduced even in this regard. The bus is being provided at the rate of Rs 54 per km. Of this, Rs 22 will be borne by the Centre. Only the remaining is to be borne by the state. Only the conductor's salary should be borne by the state. State will also have to find the money for charging the buses.

The KSRTC, which is struggling to raise its daily collection to Rs 8 crore despite all its hard work, will have a huge revenue potential if it gets so many e-buses in one go. The attitude of relying on the government for anything and everything, abandoning a scheme that should have been a boon to KSRTC and lakhs of commuters, must change.

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