THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 3.5 crores per year will be needed to change the KSRTC uniform colour from blue to khaki. Meanwhile, the employees have not been getting their uniform allowance for eight years.

The labour organizations say that they are yet to receive the allowance from 2015. Annual uniform allowance for field staff was Rs.1000 as per 2012 agreement and Rs.1600 as per 2021 agreement. The organizations demanded that the money be allocated, but the decision was not made due to the financial crisis.

Kerala Textile Corporation provides fabric produced in its own mills for sewing uniforms. If the fabric is received, the reform will be implemented within two months. The employees have to find the money to sew the uniforms themselves. There are 26,000 employees. At least 24,000 need uniforms. 18,000 uniforms are needed for operating staff alone. Only senior officers, clerical staff and retirees are not issued uniforms. The emblem on the pocket of the uniform is also provided by the textile corporation. Uniforms for the police are provided by the corporation through the canteen.

Uniforms have been provided to the Social Security Department also.
KSRTC uniform was revised in 2015 when Tomin J Thachankary was MD. The driver and conductor were wearing navy blue pants and sky-blue shirts. The return to khaki is not favoured by a good number of new-generation employees. No one has complained yet. The police, who demanded the change of from khaki uniform of other employees, has not opposed KSRTC's khaki reform either.