KSRTC's plan to buy 700 CNG buses for price of 1300 diesel buses likely to make financial crisis worse

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KSRTC is buying 700 CNG buses with a KIIFB loan of Rs 455 crore, while the daily expenses of the company are a matter of concern. This comes at a time when states including Delhi and Maharashtra have realized that their CNG buses have caused losses. 1,300 diesel buses can be bought for the price of the 700 CNG buses being bought by the state. Experts also point out that it would be a mistake to buy CNG buses that are more than double the price of a diesel bus when the price of CNG is soaring. When petrol and diesel prices fell yesterday, CNG went up by Rs 2. The test run of the CNG bus has already begun before KIIFB allotted the money. Delhi and Maharashtra are opting for LNG and electric buses. When the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation bought a CNG bus in 2014, the CNG price was Rs 36. The mileage of the bus was 4.5 km. The mileage of the five-year-old bus has reduced to 2.68 km. High price, low mileage 35 lakhs: Diesel bus price 65 lakhs: CNG bus price 5 - 6 km: Mileage of diesel bus 4.5 - 5 km: Mileage of CNG bus 3 km: Mileage of old diesel bus 2.68 km: Mileage of old CNG bus Fuel prices 96.52 per litre of diesel Rs 83 per kg of CNG 1650 buses at docks Several buses are rusting away at docks across Kerala due to poor maintenance. The then Minister replied in the Legislative Assembly on June 6, 2018 that the buses at docks will be repaired before buying new ones.