Thiruvananthapuram: A study team from Kerala was shocked by the interventions made by the Tamil Nadu government to protect its public transport system.

While the State gives concessions, inducing free travel for 50 lakh women, and extends liberal financial aid to the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation due to its status as a public welfare service, Kerala is making public transport irrelevant by cutting down on services and putting the employees to difficulties by paying the salary in installments.

A system without complaints
A team under the leadership of Transport Secretary Biju Prabhakar had visited Chennai the other day to study the working of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation.

Even though it was learnt that the public transport system there functions without any complaints owing to the aid extended by the government, another team has been constituted to study the issue once again.

A four-member team under the leadership of the Joint Managing Director, Pramoj Shankar, will travel to Chennai next week. 

The KSRTC has 4,500 buses and 26,000 employees in Kerala. If the proportion of assistance given by Tamil Nadu to the State Transport Corporation is considered, Kerala would have to pay at least  Rs. 2,300 crore to the KSRTC. In Kerala, the government gives a total of Rs 1,350 crore to the KSRTC, consisting of Rs 70 crore for monthly pension, Rs 30 crore for repayment of loans, and Rs. 100 crore towards other expenses.

Income fell after COVID

The KSRTC suffers a loss of Rs. 830 crore on allowing free travel for students and free passes given to other sections of society. The government does not reimburse this amount.

On the directive of the Chief Minister, Rs. 50 crore was being paid every month in order to pay salaries and to help put the public transport system that had collapsed in the COVID crisis, back on track.

The Finance department has informed the court that the government has no responsibility to continue with this assistance.

After the government imposed a cess of Rs 2 per litre of diesel in Kerala, the crisis faced by the KSRTC became more acute. Due to this, the KSRTC has to spend an additional amount of Rs 3 crore per month.

The KSRTC’s income fell sharply after the people kept off public transport after COVID. The corporation, which used to run 6,000 services, operates only 3,500 to 3,800 services at present.

The Tamil Nadu government took a loan of Rs. 2,000 crore and gave it for buying new buses. In Kerala, the government does not have enough money to give a loan of even Rs 800 crore that was sanctioned for buying new buses. A total of 1,000 buses have to be demolished soon.

Rs 9,000-crore budget in Tamil Nadu
The Tamil Nadu government gives Rs 9,000 crore a year to the State Transport Corporation by including the amount in the budget.

There are 1,25,000 employees and 21,000 buses. The government gives Rs. 1,500 crore towards free travel for students, Rs 2,800 crore for free travel for 50 lakh women, Rs 22 crore for providing free passes for senior citizens, and Rs 2,000 crore as subsidy for diesel at Rs 27 per litre - these are what the government doles out every year. In addition, a loan of Rs 700 crore and capital assistance of Rs 900 crore are also given.