KOCHI: In what comes as a relief to the cash-strapped Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), the state government has allowed the public entity to continue operating buses older than 15 years until September 30, 2026.
This is the second instance in which the transport department has extended the validity of the registration of such buses by two years.
The exemption has been given against the Centre’s policy of scrapping government-owned vehicles older than 15 years in accordance with the Motor Vehicles (Registration and Function of Vehicle Scrapping Facility) Rules, 2021.
The KSRTC has 1,270 vehicles, including 1,117 buses, which are older than 15 years. The corporation CMD recently wrote to the government, requesting to extend the validity period citing that the sudden withdrawal of so many buses would seriously affect KSRTC’s existence.
While the KSRTC has placed an order for 300 new Leyland buses, it’s yet to make the payments.
The bus manufacturing company made it clear that the buses would be delivered only after the payment is made. The corporation requested the government for funds but the same is yet to be allotted.
The KSRTC CMD further said in his letter that the government was yet to provide financial help to buy new vehicles to replace those whose registrations are being cancelled and that it had allowed the extension of permit validity period of private buses to 22 years.
“Since the withdrawal of 1,270 vehicles would affect the public transportation system, a direction is hereby given to the transport commissioner to extend the validity period of the registration of these buses till September 30, 2026,” Transport Secretary K Vasuki said.