Though the Sabarimala special services are all set to begin on November 16, the KSRTC Ernakulam zone is grappling with heavy paucity in the number of conductors and lack of electronic ticket machines (ETMs). Fewer number of buses which have been deployed to the depot this year in comparison to last year may also affect the smooth sail of the KSRTC this season, the officials with Ernakulam depot said.
Comprehending the situation, Ernakulam Zonal Officer Prasanna Kumar has written an urgent letter to KSRTC Managing Director K Mohanlal seeking immediate intervention in the matter. In the request, Prasanna Kumar has mentioned that depots like Ernakulam, Kottayam and Idukki which come under the Ernakulam zone do not have sufficient number of ticket machines. This has made issuing tickets to the passengers a Herculean task. With the starting of the season, the situation may worsen. The KSRTC has not been able to repair the old and dysfunctional ETMs due to several reasons.
“ We have submitted a request for the same to the MD. We have been promised that we will be provided with the newly launched GPRS ETMs which have been implemented in Thiruvananthapuram. The new ETMs will be given to Idukki, Kottayam and Ernakulam depots in the next three days. In the remaining depots such as Chengannoor, Pampa, Erumely, Alappuzha and Thrissur which are also facing the crunch, ticket machines will be pooled in from other depots during the Sabarimala season,” the officials of the zonal office said.
Meanwhile, in order to balance the paucity in the number of conductors, the officials are pooling in conductors from other depots.
This year, Ernakulam depot has only been allotted five new buses and a total of 30 buses to meet the extra rush. “ This year, in order to ensure that there is no paucity of bus services, we are pulling in buses which are operating on other routes. Though we will be able to generate income through the special services, the KSRTC will suffer losses in those routes,” official sources said.