Kozhikode: In just about a decade, the number of private buses plying in the state has more than halved. From as high a number as 32,000 in 2005, it has drastically fallen to 14,000 by 2013. The quite cheap mode of transport is no longer viable, forcing several players to quit the field and operators have reasons galore for this.
All-Kerala Bus Operators Organisation president P.K. Moosa says that among the several reasons, a law of the state government in 2008 banning heavy duty commercial vehicles from conducting service after 15 years, put the decline on top gear.
Earlier, buses were permitted to ply for any number of years, carrying valid fitness certificates from the Motor Vehicles Department. “Currently, a private bus costs Rs 22 lakh which includes tax, insurance and registration fee. But as buses have turned economically unviable, people are not ready to invest in new ones. Many vehicles were seized by financial institutions that had provided loans to purchase vehicles,” he said.
Bus owners say they have to struggle to meet the daily expense for running the service as the income-expenditure mismatch is gigantic, especially in the wake of increased fuel price and also that of essential commodities which forces them to pay higher wages to employees. To add to that, the government collects an average of Rs 1,600 as tax per day from a private bus, which include Rs 330 for the vehicle and Rs 1,250 for diesel.
Organisation secretary T. Gopinathan points out that there has been a steady decline in the number of passengers over the years. When an average of 1,800 passengers depended on a private bus a day (although it varies according to routes) in the past, it has gone down to 900. This is due to many reasons, including the increased frequency of KSRTC buses on these routes, development of rural areas in terms of provision for purchasing goods, increased dependence on private vehicles and the evolution of telephones, especially mobiles, as the fastest means of communication.
“Even the decline in the number of people going to theatres has reflected on us. Earlier, there used to be a big rush on Saturdays and Sundays, even for the last show in theatres. But, today there are hardly any passengers in for the last service of the day,” he said.
Despite the fair wages, labour shortage is another crisis. According to the wages fixed by the state government, a bus driver is entitled to Rs 600, conductors Rs 575 and cleaner Rs 500-550 daily and the duty is from 6 am to 10 pm. This excludes other benefits like bonus and festival allowance. “There are bus owners who hire drivers paying even for Rs 1,000 a day. They find it hard to pay the wages and also get efficient drivers,” he adds.
Out of the 14,000 private buses, only less than 400 conduct ‘fast services’. Of the total 5,000 KSRTC buses in the state, 3,200 comes under the category of fast services, collecting different fares. “Even then, the government had to admit that the KSRTC is reeling under a loss of Rs 70 cr per month which includes Rs 30 cr given as pension”, says Gopinathan.
According to a study of the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC), 40 per cent of the passengers in private buses are students, who use the service for Rs 1, thereby limiting the collection. It was in October, 2012 that the minimum bus fare was hiked to Rs 6 in the state.
In Thrissur, association president M.S. Premkumar says many of the one-time renowned transport companies are facing imminent closure due to severe loss. While there has been a rise in daily collection, rising diesel prices and increasing employee wages prove to be major loss-contributors.
Unlike in the southern regions, private bus services hold primacy in many parts of Thrissur and Palakkad districts. For instance, over 130 private buses are plying along the Thrissur- Ottapalam route and a majority of passengers in the border villages like Govindapuram and Attappadi still rely heavily on private buses.
In central Kerala, private buses operate mainly in rural areas. The city routes have been seeing a drop in private bus services with the KSRTC taking over these areas.
(With inputs from Kochi and Thrissur) Source: Deccan Chronicle
