The 314 low-floor buses procured with the financial assistance from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and operated by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) are to be brought under the newly formed Kerala Urban Road Transport Corporation (KURTC).
With 400 low-floor buses to be procured for extending services to 12 more districts in the State under JNNURM scheme 2013-14, the number of sleek modern buses in the State under KURTC is to go up to 767.
Crew under subsidiary
The trained crew now operating the low-floor buses also will be brought under the KURTC, a subsidiary formed under the KSRTC that will have its headquarters at Thevara bus station in Ernakulam.
Deputation
The first board meeting of the KURTC held on Monday decided to take the crew needed for operating the low- floor buses on deputation from the KSRTC. Only those employees who had joined the KSRTC after April 2013 and are part of the contributory pension scheme can seek deputation, sources in the KSRTC said.
The selected employees will be provided training by Volvo.
The KSRTC will get Rs.100 for parking a low-floor bus in its depot.
The KURTC is also to be billed for the maintenance and repairs of the buses by the KSRTC at its workshops.
The KURTC will have a separate bank account and logo.
Chairman and Managing Director, KSRTC, Antony Chacko, who also heads the KURTC, told The Hindu that the KURTC would become operational from November 1.
Balance sheet
The KSRTC, he pointed out, is maintaining a separate balance sheet for the income and expenses received and incurred by JNNURM buses. The KSRTC is now operating 146 buses, including 26 air-conditioned ones, in Thiruvananthapuram and 167, including 48 air-conditioned ones in Kochi.
400 buses to be bought to extend services
Crew on deputation from KSRTC will be trained by Volvo
