THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a significant breather for the KSRTC, the government has decided to limit the maximum trip distance of private buses to 140 km. The limit will be applicable along 31 nationalised routes originally meant to be exclusively used by the KSRTC.
Around 180 private buses have been running long distance trips under the ‘limited stop ordinary buses’ category, which was a controversial decision taken by the previous UDF Government a month before it demitted office.
The decision allowed the conversion of 155 private fast passenger stage carriage permits, 64 super fast stage carriage permits and 22 super express private stage carriage permits to limited stop ordinary services. This has led to huge revenue loss for KSRTC to the tune of `2 lakh per day.
Trade unions in KSRTC have been demanding cancellation of the permits of private buses in nationalised routes and limiting their maximum distance to 140 km. Their complaint was taken up by the subcommittee of the LDF Government to study the decisions of the previous UDF Government.