Dussehra marks the end of demons like Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhakarna. It signifies the victory of good over evil and symbolises the defeat of vices like anger, lust, jealousy, injustice and cruelty. While Goa joins the rest of the country in celebrating the festival with pomp and religious fervour, Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd marks its 42nd anniversary by reminiscing the horrors in public transport.
On the auspicious day of Dussehra that KTCL marks its anniversary, it has been all about a false sense of reassurance. Consider this: The KTCL has been bleeding losses to Rs 119.06 crores in 10 years as of 2021. In the year 2021 alone, the corporation lost almost Rs 25 crore. The factors have been many ” high salary costs, regulated fares, complex obligatory routes including school services and parallel operation of private bus operators.
The green revolution in public transport has not been encouraging either. The government had sent a proposal to the central government in May this year to procure 500 electrical buses to improve the bus transport network. The State also has a few electric buses plying on inter-city routes. The buses, procured under the FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles India) Scheme, are maintained by a private company, with the government paying Rs 76 per kilometre for the services. The sad irony of this arrangement is that the government is already suffering a loss of approximately 9 lakh per month on 50 buses plying on various routes.
KTCL has been a consistent story of failure with the umpteen changes to chairmanship and the promises not showing results. Better public transportation is a prerequisite in Goa because this issue has torn apart the people. For a State that aspires to be a tourism capital of India, Goa should have a seamless and robust transport network. Better transportation goes hand-in-hand with development and growth.
While every anniversary provided an opportunity to introspect and course-correct, officials indulged in a useless show of accomplishment when there was none. Those at the helm have overlooked the grey areas that cast a shadow on the corporation. Merely adding green buses cannot change the dynamics of public transport in Goa. The wheels of mismanagement have been driving the KTCL since the journey began in 1980. As a result, the critical objective of better public service has been lost since 1980.
This Dussehra, the government and the KTCL must look back and move forward with cautious optimism. What is needed is a complete revamp of the system and a sense of purpose in service. There must be a service-oriented push with an eye on the bottom line. Goa desperately needs a better, reliable and consistent transportation system that could change the outlook of locals and tourists towards public travel. So may the good times roll beginning this Dussehra festival.
