KSRTC Invites Tenders to Hire 600 Buses for Sabarimala Pilgrimage Season
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has invited tenders to hire 600 non-AC buses for operating services during the Sabarimala Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season. The buses will be hired under the wet lease system, in which the vehicle is provided along with the driver and other operational support.
The emergency move comes as KSRTC is facing a severe shortage of buses. Nearly 2,000 KSRTC buses are set to reach the end of their service life by September.
Earlier, the Kerala government had renewed the fitness certificates of 1,917 buses, overriding the Central government's policy. However, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways later directed the State Transport Secretary that these overaged buses should no longer be used for service and must be scrapped.
Following this, KSRTC has been hit by a major shortage of buses.
Earlier, KSRTC had invited tenders to hire 63 sleeper and seater-cum-sleeper buses to handle the heavy rush during the Sabarimala pilgrimage season, as well as the Onam, Christmas, and New Year travel seasons. However, no bidders came forward, prompting the corporation to issue a re-tender for the same.