The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will soon roll out new hybrid sleeper-cum-seater buses on the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod route. In the first phase, two hybrid buses – one AC and a non-AC bus – procured using the funds deposited by the employees under the KSRTC-SWIFT, the newly formed legal entity for centralised operations of long-distance buses, would be pressed into service.
The employees, who gave a security deposit during the time of joining duty, will be given a proportional share of the profits generated from the service. Based on the response to these new buses, more such hybrid buses would be launched in the next phase, said a recent release issued by the KSRTC.
The buses will have advanced features such as online tracking, two emergency doors, four LED display boards inside, a resting facility for the standby driver in the driver’s cabin, mobile charging points and mobile pouches on seats and berths, and luggage space for keeping handbags and so on. A bus will have a total of 27 seats and 15 sleeper berths, said the release.
The KSRTC-SWIFT has also plans to expand its fleet through private participation. Speaking to The Hindu, a senior KSRTC officer said the utility will soon invite expressions of interest from private individuals to run buses in joint participation. Interested individuals or institutions can provide buses to the corporation and these buses would be pressed into service on routes under the KSRTC. Bus owners will be given a proportional income from the revenue earned by these buses.
The guidelines for this scheme will have to be drafted. At present, SWIFT owns around 290 buses. The proposal of private participation has been mooted following the crisis in the corporation which is finding it difficult to infuse working capital in the ailing public utility. Though the KSRTC is reeling under a financial crisis, SWIFT has been making profit, according to officials.
