At a time when the private bus strike hit the city hard, more than 22 buses of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) were left idling at the bus stand on Monday.
According to KSRTC staff, the buses which could have been utilised to conduct services during the strike, were kept off the roads as 17 drivers were under punishment for taking part in the strike demanding risk allowance for the drivers of long-distance JNNURM buses.
According to A V Francis, state secretary of INTUC-affiliated union, four AC low-floor buses, three non-ac buses, Thirukochi buses and ordinary buses were not used to conduct service owing to the paucity of drivers. Besides, nine low-floor buses have been dumped at the workshop of the KSRTC citing fitness reasons.
“No timely maintenance is provided to the buses, especially to Volvo buses. There are many buses which are lying idle because of minor complaints,” said T P Venu, general secretary, Kerala State Road Transport Employees Association (KSRTEA).
Meanwhile, owing to the Sabarimala season, six Thirukochi services plying through Ernakulam-Fort Kochi and Ernakulam-Kakkanad routes were sent to Pampa to conduct special chain services.
“We had sent a request to Thiruvananthapuram seeking extra buses to compensate for the ones taken to pampa. However, we are yet to receive a favourable reply,” said Ernakulam ATO George Thomas. He added that the Ernakulam depot had received 13 buses from Thiruvananthapuram to run Ernakulam-Pampa services.George Thomas said the KSRTC managed to send the available buses to ply through all the regions. “As many as 30 Thirukochi buses and 30 Volvo buses conducted service in the district to meet the demand. KSRTC conducted ordinary service through Paravoor, Kodangaloor, Aluva, Angamaly, Muvattapuzha, Cherthala, Vaikom, Piravom and Perumbavoor.