THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The KSRTC has urged the government to cancel the free pass facility provided to 28,105 service pensioners in the wake of financial crisis. The corporation incurs an annual loss of Rs 510.35 crore on account of distributing 1,31,234 free passes under various categories.
In a proposal submitted to the government, KSRTC CMD Tomin J Thachankary has sought the support of the government to take steps for increasing the revenue of the corporation. In the proposal, which stresses the need to collect more revenue, the corporation has also sought the reimbursement of the monthly amount of Rs 53.87 crore spent on providing free passes to passengers, including student concession.
As per the details attached to the proposal, in the month of June, KSRTC has suffered a loss of Rs 67.23 crore (free travel: Rs 51.46 crore, concession ticket: Rs 15.77 crore) due to various travel concessions.
“A majority of students from private and government schools uses the concession for free travel in KSRTC buses. The loss to KSRTC can be avoided or mitigated if the concerned department or government reimburses the amount given as concession. The free pass of service pensioners should also be cancelled or the government should bear their pass expenses,” said the CMD.
“A great number of passes is registered under the corporation, but how many of them are being actually used is the big question. MLAs and ex-MLAs never make use of the free pass facility in KSRTC buses. Similarly, most of the corporation employees rarely use these passes to travel. We pay for our own travel expenses,” said a KSRTC employee.