No PSC appointments in KSRTC for 10 years: RTI reveals

Thiruvananthapuram: According to a Right to Information (RTI) response, there have been no Public Service Commission (PSC) appointments in the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) over the past ten years.

While notifications for six posts, including reserve driver, were issued between 25 May 2016 and 31 January 2026, no appointments have been made, the PSC confirmed in its reply.

Notifications for the Junior Assistant post were issued in 2017 and 2021. A notification for the Store Issuer post was also released, but the examination for the position has not been conducted.

By contrast, the PSC clarified that 14,034 vacancies were filled during the United Democratic Front (UDF) government’s tenure from 2011 to 2015. The appointments during this period included:

Reserve Conductor: 9,300

Reserve Driver: 3,974

Junior Assistant: 667

Assistant Store Keeper: 48

Store Issuer: 45

The RTI response was provided to R.S. Sasikumar, Chairman of the Save University Campaign Committee.

ALSO READ | KSRTC smart card limit increased: What it means for daily commuters

The committee alleged that while PSC appointments in KSRTC have been completely halted, temporary appointments are being made extensively through the backdoor in the Swift system. They also raised safety concerns, claiming that the appointment of inexperienced drivers has led to more accidents, and that buses are catching fire due to poor vehicle maintenance.

Since K.B. Ganesh Kumar took office as Transport Minister, a policy to phase out electric buses has been adopted. This comes at a time when other states are increasingly switching to electric vehicles to curb air pollution, moving away from diesel buses.

The Save University Campaign Committee has urged the government to reconsider the hiring freeze and prioritise the safety and modernisation of KSRTC services.