THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan flagged off 131 new buses for the SWIFT-super fast services of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Tuesday. The new buses cost Rs 38.17 lakh each and are equipped with modern facilities, such as mobile charging facility at every seat, anti-lock braking system, onboard diagnostics, tubeless tyres, GPS, air suspension, an inbuilt announcement system, and facility to display advertisements. These buses will replace the existing super-fast services of the KSRTC.
During the function, the CM called for decentralizing the corporation, while Transport Minister Antony Raju presided over the event. Raju announced that the KSRTC-SWIFT has made great strides since its inception, with 116 buses and 50 e-buses launched earlier, and another 113 e-buses scheduled to be launched within two months as part of the Smart City project. The funding for this initiative will come from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
He also mentioned that the KIIFB has sanctioned Rs 814 crore to replace the old fleet of the corporation.”If the legislators cooperate with the ‘Grama Vandi’ project another 140 buses can be launched next year,” he said.
In addition, all depots of the corporation will be renovated within six months to provide better facilities to travellers, such as TV, announcement systems, drinking water, and mobile charging points.
Regarding salary payments, the minister stated that there were no arrears in salary payments in KSRTC, except for March. He criticised the campaign that employees are not receiving salaries for a long time. The corporation implemented salary revisions despite the crisis due to fuel price hikes. Furthermore, 13 fuel pumps were opened to the public, and two more will be opened in two months.