TSRTC grapples with depleting bus fleet; revenue takes a tumble

Hyderabad: As many as 4,177 buses were scrapped in Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) between 2014 and 2021 and 884 more buses have reached scrapping state, which meant that more than half of the buses were scrapped during the last seven years but only 1,800 new buses were added resulting decline in the operations.

Over the years, decline in buses numbers resulted in decline in the earnings of the corporation. Generally, the life of the buses is about 10 – 12 lakh kilometres (Km) but with the maintenance, the RTC operates buses to the tune of 15 lakh Km and then they are sent to scrap.

The year-wise data pertaining to scrapped vehicles is 429 in 2014-15, 545 in 2015-16, 579 in 2016-17, 419 in 2017-18, 611 in 2018-19, 1,418 in 2019-20 and 990 in 2020-21. Sources said that another 884 buses including 659 in districts and 225 in the city are eligible for replacement as per the policy.

There is no similarity in the replacement of the buses in the corporation. The year-wise data pertaining to the addition of new buses shows that only 1,826 new buses were added from 2015 to 2021 which include 123 new buses in 2015-16, 508 in 2016-17, 915 in 2017-18, 130 in 2018-19, 149 in 2019-20 and this year up to January 31, only one bus is added.

The TSRTC trade union leaders have criticised the government for not assisting the RTC in getting new buses. "On one hand the buses are decreasing resulting in a dip in the operations and on the other hand the officials claim that they donot have enough revenue. How revenue will be generated if there are no operations?" questioned a union leader.

Trade union leader and former director in Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) M Nageswara Rao gave a suggestion to overcome this problem. Nageswara Rao has requested Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to provide funds from the constituency development fund (CDF) of the MLAs to procure buses.

He said that the government has earmarked Rs 800 Crore under the CDF for the year 2021-22 for all the MLAs and MLCs. "If each of the elected representatives (MLAs and MLCs) can provide two buses each, the Corporation can procure 300 new buses, which will result in better transportation to the people of the State," he added. He said that the CM should give a call to the MLAs and MPs to provide Rs 50 lakh each for getting new buses.