Due to an acute shortage of inspectors in the KSRTC, ticket checking on board transport buses has come to a standstill over the past few months.
A pending case between the empanelled and PSC appointed employees has frozen promotions in the KSRTC, resulting in a dearth of checking inspectors, said sources in the KSRTC.
A new case registered recently would only delay the promotions further, officials said. “Ticket checking on buses is essential, especially for long distance journeys. Available inspectors are being pressed in for other duties, including attending RTO meetings, inspecting minute workings at the Ernakulam depot etc. They are over-worked and it is impossible for them to find time for conducting checks,” said a top official.
In Ernakulam alone, the depot is reeling under acute shortage of inspectors. Currently, there are only five inspectors for nearly 160 services operating from the depot.
According to depot officers, at least ten more inspectors should be appointed at the Ernakulam depot, the largest in the state. The dearth of officials has resulted in the poor management of maintenance activities of the JNNURM low-floor AC buses and routing of ‘Thirukochi’ services. “The Ernakulam depot is the busiest in the state. There are at least 50 JNNURM services as well as ‘Thirukochi’ services operating from here. However, the depot is extremely unorganised which has resulted in an utter neglect of many functional areas. If maintenance of the buses is to take place, at least one inspector should be appointed for the services,” the official added.
Officials at KSRTC Thiruvananthapruam said that an extra squad of inspectors was appointed through the Vigilance wing of the KSRTC to conduct checks on buses. “However, the measures are insufficient,” the officials said.