Thiruvananthapuram: Finance Minister KN Balagopal has stated that out of the ₹80 crore, which is required each month for the salaries of KSRTC employees, the government alone contributes ₹50 crore. He added that this has to be reduced.

The minister was inaugurating Transpo 2025, a vehicle exhibition jointly organised by KSRTC and the Motor Vehicles Department at Kanakakunnu in Thiruvananthapuram. He pointed out that currently the government spends about ₹4 crore every day on KSRTC. He further said that although the public usually hears only negative stories about KSRTC, now the situation has changed. The organisation is no longer stagnant; it is moving ahead with more energy.

Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar, who presided over the function, announced that the introduction of 150 new buses would increase KSRTC’s daily revenue by around ₹50 lakh. He emphasised that the corporation is steadily reducing losses and that unnecessary bus operations will be curtailed.

The minister further added that, even if a bus remains idle at a depot or even the employees fall asleep for two hours, such loss is bearable.

MLA V.K. Prasanth, KSRTC CMD P.S. Pramoj Shankar, and other dignitaries also addressed the gathering.