KOCHI: KSRTC is in no shape to splash crores for the maintenance of buses that have been rusting in the garage depot for a long time. Minding such financial distress, the department is mooting ways to get rid of more than 200 JNNURM buses in the state.

It includes both AC and non-AC buses. There are buses that need at least 30 lakh rupees for repairs. Under the current financial state, getting the repair done is a far-fetched dream and thus the high-level meeting held by KSRTC officials decided to drop all of the 200 JNNURM buses that are in need of a revamp.

These buses are kept at various depots. Sun and rain corroded most of them. The majority of the 24 buses at Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Thodupuzha, Aluva, Perumbavoor, and Thrissur depots are in need of major repairs.

The situation of 10 out of 42 buses in Ernakulam is nothing different. Some of the buses elsewhere in the state are also in a deplorable condition. Crores will be needed to put all buses back to their shape.

JNNURM buses are run by KURTC under KSRTC. These are among the 500 buses provided free of charge by the central government from 2009 to 2015 under the JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Renewal Mission) scheme. JNNURM buses are mostly seen on busy city routes.