Kochi: The 50 AC low-floor buses being operated by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) within the city limits are running at a loss even during the scorching heat. This has forced authorities to mull over rescheduling the operations altogether by next month.
“The total daily collection comes to around Rs 4 lakh which is less than the Rs 6 lakh collected two years ago. We’d expected more revenue during the summer. While all our inter-district low-floor services are having a high demand, the city services are costing us heavy,” a senior KSRTC officer said.
The earning per km (EPKM) of the intra-district buses is approximately '40 while most inter-district buses earn up to Rs 70. “Since the buses are received under the first phase of the JnNURM programme, these can’t be operated in intra-district routes.”
“The complete schedule of the buses will be reworked in a month when they will start operating from Thevara hub instead of the Ernakulam bus depot. We'll plan the services so as to benefit the maximum number of commuters,” said P Sasidharan, Special Officer, KURTC.
“The very aim of these buses is to woo car travelers to use public transport and decongest the city. However, the KSRTC failed to operate buses efficiently. They should conduct study and identify such routes,” said Dejo Kappen, managing trustee of the Centre for Consumer Education, who had moved the High Court contending that buses were allotted under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for use within the city.
