PANAJI
The KTC electric buses may have been a fancy concept, but they have given a high voltage jolt to the State exchequer.
Information obtained by the All Goa Private Bus Owners Association through RTI on Thursday revealed that the Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited has suffered a loss of Rs 72,82,445 over a period of one year in running 35 electric buses on prime and profitable routes in the State.
Around 20 buses have been plying along the Margao-Panaji route and 4 are on the Margao-Karwar route, while other routes include Margao-Sawantwadi, Margao-Ponda-Bambolim, Margao-Ponda-Sankhali-Mapusa, Vasco-Verna-Ponda and Margao-Ponda-Panaji.
The RTI information obtained by AGPBOA President Sudip Tamhankar revealed that from April 2021 to March 2022, the ticket collection was Rs 5,18,97,942.
On the other hand, the amount paid to the Hyderabad-based company Evey Trans was Rs 5,91,80,387 for eight months, from July 2021 to April 2022, thereby generating a loss of at least Rs 72,82,445, since the period of collection was 12 months, while the payments made to Evey Trans was for a period of eight months.
“This loss is merely for 35 electric buses which have been commissioned till now. With an additional 100 buses joining the fleet, the losses will increase exponentially for the KTC. How is the KTC is going to make up for these losses,” asked Tamhankar.
“We are not getting a rate of Rs 50 per km for diesel buses which are hired for private trips and so, how can the government pay Rs 75.87 per km for electric buses,” asked Tamhankar.
The AGPBOA claimed the nationalisation of routes has not benefited the people in anyway.
“People have to suffer due to fewer buses on these routes. There were previously 122 buses on three routes and when these routes were nationalised, only 70 buses are pressed into service by KTC although the population has increased significantly,” he added.
