The committee studying the functioning of road transport corporations (RTCs)has received close to 500 responses from the public providing suggestions and ideas on improvement of bus services, among others.
A majority of the suggestions are on induction ofnew buses, increasing the frequency and running services on new routes.Close to 380 suggestions have come through online mode and the rest through posts. Responses have come from across the State and issues related to all the four RTCs were brought to the notice of the committee.
Chairman of the committee M.R. Sreenivasamurthy told The Hindu that the suggestions are being studied and they will be incorporated while submitting recommendations to the State Government. On Wednesday,Mr. Sreenivasamurthy held a meeting with the Chief Minister and apprised him of works done by the committee.
“The committee has held meetings with various stakeholders from higher officials,10 employee unions and passenger organisations. The State Gvernment had set a three-month deadline to submit the report. We are trying our best to submit the report within the deadline. There may be a possibility of submitting an interim report to the Government,” said Mr. Sreenivasamurthy.
The Government had formed the committee and asked it to submit recommendations which will make RTCs financially self-sustainable and resource mobilisation other than fare box revenue. After the outbreak of the pandemic and due to other factors such as high fuel costs, the RTCs have suffered losses.
In 2020-21, the RTCs suffered a loss of ₹1,325 crore and from April 2021 to December 2021, they incurred a loss of ₹1,310 crore.
Due to heavy revenue loss in the last two years, the RTCs relied on the State government to pay the salary of the staff and the poor financial condition had also forced the corporations to postpone the induction of new buses.
