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Kerala Kaumudi Online
Friday, 14 February 2025 4.27 AM IST

KSRTC sidelined: more than thousand bus routes for private services

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The move to give over a thousand bus routes to the private sector by sidelining KSRTC under the guise of 'need of the people' has reached its climax. The motor vehicle department has prepared a draft list to provide 40 to 100 routes in the districts to private services. The move is to finalize the list by next month and to start the services from April 1

The authorities say that the suggestions received in the public meetings held as per the instructions of the Minister of Transport are being implemented. However, it is the move to privatize, including the routes owned by KSRTC alone, that has reached its final stage. KSRTC had given strict instructions to the depots to stop services that did not earn Rs 35 per km. The services that were being run, including on rural routes as a social responsibility, were stopped with this. Through this, the strategy of exacerbating travel woes succeeded in many places.

Kerala Kaumudi had reported on July 29 about the move to revise the bus route by excluding KSRTC. The proceedings were delayed for some time after this, but the meetings were held.

Route secret

  • The move is to hand over the route to the private sector even in areas where KSRTC has enough buses. In many places, the routes suggested by the public were not the ones that became the permits. Bus owners were not willing to take up unprofitable routes. It is reported that the bus owners have gained access to the routes run by KSRTC.
  • Routes for private buses in all districts have also been prepared. Meetings were held in the last few days in the districts with the participation of KSRTC inspectors. Apart from reading the new permits, KSRTC was not given a copy of the same.

Out of the way permission; can run 17 km

Private buses are allowed to ply only 5 km on nationalized routes including national highways where only KSRTC has service authority. In Kottayam, 92 routes prepared under the guise of public opinion were allotted to private buses. One of them is the notified route which only KSRTC is authorized to use. Here the permit is given to private buses in such a way that they are allowed to run more than 17 km

TAGS: KSRTC
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