Following the collapse of the lease plan, KSRTC has directed various depots to divert and concentrate their existing operational buses to major transit hubs.
Following the collapse of the lease plan, KSRTC has directed various depots to divert and concentrate their existing operational buses to major transit hubs.
Following the collapse of the lease plan, KSRTC has directed various depots to divert and concentrate their existing operational buses to major transit hubs.
Pathanamthitta: The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has hit a major roadblock in its plans to acquire on lease super-class AC buses to cater to the heavy festive rush of non-resident Malayalis returning home for Onam. Facing a severe financial crunch that prevents the outright purchase of new luxury vehicles, KSRTC had floated a tender last month to rent 63 AC buses, but the initiative has stalled with no further progress made.
As a result, the state carrier is now forced to rely on its ageing fleet to run additional services during the peak holiday season. The transport utility had originally envisioned hiring seven categories of air-conditioned buses for a six-month period to run interstate services during major festival seasons including Onam, Christmas, and the New Year.
Alternative arrangements for festive rush
Following the collapse of the lease plan, KSRTC has directed various depots to divert and concentrate their existing operational buses to major transit hubs. This move is intended to manage the massive influx of passengers during Onam as efficiently as possible with the limited resources at hand.
Sabarimala lease plans
Despite the setback with the Onam fleet expansion, KSRTC is moving forward with other outsourcing plans. The public transport operator has floated a separate tender to lease 600 private buses to manage commuter transit during the upcoming Sabarimala Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.