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46% of NWKRTC buses fit to be scrapped

A major reason as to why the NWKRTC is not scraping its buses is the ‘poor response’ by the contractors
Last Updated 03 August 2021, 17:13 IST

Around 2,300 or 46% of the total North-Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation buses have run more than nine 9 km, and are eligible to be ‘scrapped’. However, due to paucity of funds, the NWKRTC has not ‘recruited’ any new buses for the last two financial years.

In 2019, the NWKRTC had sent a proposal to purchase 500 new buses, including 50 battery-operated electric buses for Hubballi-Dhrawad Bus Rapid Transit System (HD-BRTS). However, so far, not a single bus has come the NWKRTC way.

The last fleet of 456 buses came to NWKRTC depots in 2019. However, since then, 203 buses, which had run more than 9 lakh km, and were not fit for road, were scrapped in 2021, and 385 buses scrapped in 2020.

NWKRTC, which operates 4,859 buses from six districts and nine divisions, has been running under huge losses for last many years now. The lockdown imposed by the government to prevent the spread of Covid did help the corporation to cut its losses, but also hurt its revenue.

More old buses

NWKRTC Central Office, Hubballi, Public Relation Officer P R Kiranagi said, the NWKRTC operates on 4,500 scheduled routes everyday. Of the 4,859 buses, including 71 Rajahamsa, 31 A/C Sleeper, 62 Sleeper non-A/C, four Volvo single axel, 35 multi-axel, and 80 Chigari buses, nearly 2,300 of them have completed 9 lakh km.

The KSRTC, to ensure better quality, scraps its buses after 7.5 lakh km. However, NWKRTC has extended that scrap mark to 8 lakh km.

However, Mechanical Department officials of NWKRTC claimed that there was no harm in running these vehicles as they are ‘fit for road’. “Every year, the NWKRTC gets a certificate from RTO stating these buses are fit for road. Only then they are allowed to ply on the roads,” said one of the senior officials, who did not wish to be named. These buses could ply on roads as we have maintained them properly, he said.

Experts said, every bus has a shelf-life after which their performance starts deteriorating. If NWKRTC continues to operate these buses, then they will end up spending more on fuel and on spare parts, they say.

Another major reason as to why the NWKRTC is not scraping its buses is the ‘poor response’ by the contractors, who are quoting low prices for the aged buses.

On an average, the NWKRTC pays Rs 45 lakh per bus. However, the contractors are quoting anywhere between Rs 6 lakh to Rs 7 lakh per bus. A senior officer requesting anonymity informed DH that NWKRTC had to discard the scraping process once as the contractor had quoted just Rs 65,000 per bus.

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(Published 03 August 2021, 17:13 IST)

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