TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) which recorded losses of around Rs 15 crore for the 2012-13 fiscal now plans to pull up its socks and plan commercialization of bus stands and tie-ups with super markets all across the State, along with computerization of all depots to reduce unnecessary expenditure and earn revenue.
Despite nationalised monopoly routes, on an average the State corporation incurs a loss of Rs 5 lakh per day. In 2011-12 fiscal its total loss was Rs 14 crore.
Speaking to reporters, KTC Chairman Carlos Almeida admitted that the financial position of the corporation is not sound.
“We have great social obligations. If we are incurring losses on particular routes we cannot stop services there, as people will face hardships. As of now on an average we incur a loss of around Rs 5 lakh per day,” he said, adding ‘we are initiating steps in a phased manner to reduce losses’.
Almeida said that replacement of old buses and increasing the fleet is our first priority and accordingly we have added 100 new buses to our fleet.
“Being new buses, there would be less expenditure on their maintenance and at the same time less diesel consumption. Our aim initially is to match the expenditure and income,” he said.
Almeida further explained that the Corporation also aims at replacing old buses in a phased manner and 145 buses with investment of Rs 30 crore would be purchased, in 2013, he added. In the next five years, Rs 110 crore provisions would be made to purchase 425 new buses. KTC currently has a fleet of 411.
He said that upgradation of bus stands would be taken up on priority basis and they would be used to draw in revenue on the lines of supermarket etc.
The chairman said that Rs 1.5 crore has been sanctioned under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for computerization of bus stands/depots. KTC is also exploring the possibility of shifting buses from diesel to environment-friendly Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
