The New Indian Express 09.11.2010
Suburbia soon to have low-floor buses
Presently, the low-floor buses pressed into service as part of the JNNURM project can only be run within the limits of Trivandrum Development Authority (TRIDA) in the capital and within the limits of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) in Kochi. According to top officials of the KSRTC, which is now operating the services in a temporary set up, plying of low-floor buses within the city will not serve the purpose of the project. Besides, officials feel that the extension of services to the rural areas will help them minimise the loss caused by these services.
“The main aim behind the introduction of low-floor services was to promote the public transportation in the city thereby reduce the influx of private vehicles into the city. To achieve this goal, services of low-floor buses should be extended to suburban towns like Nedumangad, Neyyattinkara and Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram. In Kochi, services should be extended to Muvattupuzha, Kolenchery and Piravom. If we can operate regular services from these points, the influx of private vehicles to the city will decrease considerably,” a top KSRTC official said.
Though profit-making is not the major objective of the project, officials expressed concern over the loss caused by these services. “To operate the service without any loss, there should be an income of ` 50 per kilometre for AC buses and ` 38 per kilometre for non-AC buses. But presently the average revenue per kilometre for AC buses ranges from ` 33 to 38 whereas the collection per kilometre is below ` 30 for non-AC services. There is not much variations in the net income from both districts,” the official said.
The officials also said that the present services operated in both cities will not be withdrawn. At present, 16 low-floor buses are operating in Thiruvananthapuram and 41 buses are operating in Kochi. Besides, as many as 40 low-floor buses, including AC and non-AC, are kept ready for service at the KSRTC Central Works, Kaimanam. Under the JNNURM project, 150 low-floor buses (30 AC and 120 non-AC) have been sanctioned for Thiruvananthapuram whereas 170 buses, including 50 AC buses, are allotted to Kochi.
