Fuel costs, poor ridership deter RTCs from running AC buses

Only 42 of 860 air-conditioned BMTC buses operational

The high price of fuel, coupled with poor patronage, is proving to be hurdle for road transport corporations (RTCs) which have scaled operations of high-end and luxury buses. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), which has a fleet size of 860 air-conditioned buses, is currently running only 40 odd buses, while the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is running only half of the 400 AC buses in its fleet. Shivayogi Kalasad, MD of KSRTC, pointed out that corporations have been operating at a loss since the pandemic last year. Though the second wave appears to be easing, ridership remains low. “As a result, we are forced to take every possible measure to bring down losses. Corporations are paying ₹89 per litre of diesel, and the operational cost is very high. We have no option but to rationalise our service. KSRTC is operating wherever there is demand,” he said. Despite taking such drastic measures, while operating an AC bus, the corporation is still incurring a loss of ₹10-15 per km. According to Mr. Kalasad, all the four corporations are spending ₹3,000-3,500 crore per year for fuel. They are bracing themselves for further expenditure due to the constant rise in fuel cost.