BENGALURU: To cut down on operational costs, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is operating more than 10 per cent of its buses without conductors, thus reducing the cost per kilometre (CPKM) by Rs 10. The bus corporation has currently opted for the ‘single-crew model’ in over 850 buses.
Sharing details about the model, KSRTC MD Anbu Kumar said, “The model has been introduced in point-to-point routes with few or no stops on select routes such as Bengaluru-Mysuru, Bengaluru-Hassan, Bengaluru-Davanagere, Bengaluru-Shivamogga, Bengaluru-Madikeri, Bengaluru-Kolar and others. Tickets will be issued by the driver at the boarding point and when additional passengers board along the way.”
Explaining the motive behind the introduction of the single-crew model, Kumar said, “KSRTC operates over 8,000 buses every day including ordinary and premium buses, covering over 28 lakh kilometres every day. The cost per kilometre includes the capital costs, interests, diesel, administrative costs, and conductor and driver costs which come up to Rs 50 per km to operate our buses. Only if our earning per kilometre (EPKM) is more than Rs 50 per km, the bus corporation will make profits. However, out of 8,000 buses, around 5,000 buses are earning less than Rs 50 per km, owing to multiple factors including lesser number of passengers.”
While admitting that public bus corporations are supposed to serve people and not make money, the MD said the Corporation is always exploring ways to cut down costs to serve better without burdening passengers and one such move is the conductor-less model.
“The KSRTC is able to save around Rs 10 per km. We have introduced this model only on routes with travel times of around five hours. For journeys longer than 5-6 hours, it will be challenging for the driver to manage without assistance,” Kumar said.