The ageing fleet of KSRTC buses

Tattered smelly seats, broken windows, faulty air conditioning systems, noisy engines, bed bugs and unkempt floors. Most travellers are, of late, having awful experience of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses. Reason: The KSRTC has a fleet of aged buses.

The average age of KSRTC buses is 4.17 lakh km (the age of a KSRTC bus is measured in terms of the number of kms it has run), and it is the highest in the last eight years. On an average, a KSRTC bus runs one lakh kms per year. The normal age of a KSRTC bus is fixed at 7.5 lakh kms. Once a bus crosses this age, it will usually be scrapped.  

Of the about 7,000 buses owned by KSRTC, a majority of them are above four lakh kms old. Leyland, Volvo, and Tata buses are among the oldest ones with an average age of 5.4 lakh km, 3.55 lakh km and 3.37 lakh km respectively – no wonder travellers taking these buses are having a nightmarish experience.

As per the statistics, the KSRTC has to scrap around 15 per cent of its buses (around 1,000 buses) every year. But it has not been able to do so due to ‘paucity’ of funds. It has junked 710 buses in 2008-09, 622 in 2009-10, 640 in 2010-11 and 716 in 2011-12. 

It is planning to do away with 650 old buses in the current fiscal. Though the KSRTC is among the few State-owned transport undertakings making profit in the country, its finances have taken a beating due to steep rise in operating costs, especially fuel.

Moreover, certain policy issues like the Union government’s recent decision to do away with the provision of seeking income tax (I-T) exemption for charitable institutions under the IT Act and increasing the cost of subsidies offered by the State government have adversely affected KSRTC’s finances. The KSRTC paid Rs 27 crore as I-T in 2011-12 fiscal.This is despite the Corporation’s accounting system making a provision for 10 per cent depreciation while fixing the tariff rate. 

In other words, of every rupee charged as fare, about 10 paise goes towards depreciation. 

The Corporation has, for instance, earned Rs 175 crore in the form of depreciation on the total turnover of Rs 2,400 crore in 2011-12 fiscal. Money earned in the form of depreciation is meant for capital investments, which includes inducting new buses.

KSRTC Managing Director N Manjunath Prasad, however, said the Corporation has been striving to improve the quality of services. 

Compared to many other State-owned transport undertakings, KSRTC has been scrapping buses much early. Many undertakings in the country are scrapping buses after 10 lakh kms, but in KSRTC it has been fixed at 7.5 lakh kms, in order to maintain the quality.

Moreover, the KSRTC has inducted a large number of Volvo buses in the last few years.

The average age of a Volvo bus is 10 lakh kms. Hence, the overall average age of KSRTC’s fleet seems to have been increasing over the years. 

However, a number of steps are being taken to make the fleet young and improve the quality of services, he added.

Besides, he said, the Corporation has decided to tap the potential for commercial utilisation of its assets, especially land, by allowing private investments. 

Modern bus stands are planned to be constructed under public private partnership basis in three places (Puttur, Mangalore and Hassan). Similar projects will be undertaken in other places also. 

The move will help the Corporation utilise profit it earns for other expenses, he explained.

The KSRTC is also planning to expand its city or sub urban services in the coming days. The city service will be introduced in Mangalore and Kolar towns in a few days.

The city services in Tumkur, Hassan and Davangere have begun earning profits, he added.


Mechanised cleaning

The KSRTC MD said the Corporation would soon introduce mechanised system of cleaning buses. Under this system, a bus can be cleaned in just three minutes. As a result, buses can be cleaned more frequently to ensure cleanliness. The KSRTC has been receiving a large number of complaints on buses being messy.

Intelligent transport system

Intelligent transport system, which is being implemented in Mysore city, will be extended to the entire fleet of KSRTC buses. Under this system, real time information of buses will be made available to people. Global Positioning System (GPS) will be installed in all the buses and they will be connected to the central control room. Information on the exact time of arrival of a bus will be displayed at the bus stop using this system. People can also obtain this information on their mobile phones. 

The system will also help the KSRTC manage its buses better. The new system is estimated to cost Rs 80 crore, and it is likely to be implemented in about eight months.