Thiruvananthapuram: KSRTC Managing Director A Hemachandran has urged the state government to do away with limited-stop private buses services in the state. He made the request in a letter to the government.
Hemachandran has urged the state goverment to revise the decision of State Transport Authority on the private bus schedule in nationised routes.
As per the State Transport Authority's schedule, the timings of private and KSRTC super-class buses overlap very often. As it will incur loss to KSRTC, the Managing Director has urged the government to withdraw permits of limited-stop private buses in these routes.
A decision to revise the notification on nationalisation of bus routes was taken in a meeting convened by transport minister on July 26, 2017. In the meeting, the government decided to limit the maximum trip distance of private buses to 140 km.
Hence, in an official letter, KSRTC asked the government to implement this order in order to compensate the loss due to private services.
According to norms of fleet owner, only KSRTC is empowered to take long distance super-class buses. But many private buses are operating limited-stop services in these routes by violating the norms. These illegal services should be stopped and government should limit the maximum trip distance of private buses to 140 km, the KSRTC chief said in the letter.
As per 18th provision in scheme of nationalisation, private carriages are allowed to operate ordinary bus services in the state. Thus KSRTC demanded that the government should take action to allow KSRTC to have advantage of the scheme.
Former KSRTC Managing Director M G Rajamanickam had also forwarded a letter to the government with the same request. He was removed from the position after he moved against the government for allegedly giving priority to the private bus lobby.
The government has nationalised the routes of super-class buses following a High Court verdict on July 2013. KSRTC buses replaced 241 super-class permits operated by private bus owners.
Later, the government allowed 241 private buses to operate limited stop and ordinary services in these routes.
When LDF government issued a notification limiting the maximum trip distance of private buses to 140 km, 150 private buses renewed permit by misusing the loopholes in the notification. Though KSRTC has demanded to revise the notification, government has not taken any action yet.
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