Kerala minister, Thiruvananthapuram mayor spar over use of Smart City buses

The Bharatiya Janata Party-controlled Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and the Left Democratic Front-led government sparred on Wednesday over the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) “inconveniencing urban commuters” by “illegally” extending the operations of the Central government-funded Smart City project electric buses to the mofussil neighbourhoods. 

Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.V. Rajesh sparked the dispute by accusing the KSRTC of contractual violation. He claimed the (BJP-led) Central government had underwritten the cost of the 113-electric-bus fleet as part of its funding for Smart City projects. 

Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar said the State government held a 60% stake in Smart City funding, which the Corporation could ill afford to ignore. He added that the KSRTC would return the buses to the Corporation’s operational control if the Mayor sent a letter to the public utility. 

However, Mr. Kumar said the Corporation would have to find its own parking and operating crew. He noted that the electric bus fleet was a white elephant that was bleeding the KSRTC heavily. Moreover, he also promised to replace the fleet with the 150 new diesel mini-buses that meet present and future emission standards. 

High maintenance

“The electric buses have a high maintenance cost, low tyre mileage and even lower operational returns. Each bus costs ₹1 crore. The batteries will be retired in 2026. A new battery will cost the KSRTC ₹28 lakh per bus. For that amount, the KSRTC could purchase scores of diesel-powered mini-buses with low maintenance and high returns for urban and rural routes,” Mr. Kumar said. 

Mr. Kumar said that Thiruvananthapuram was an urban continuum with no real rural-city divide. “For one, the Corporation limits end at Kazhakuttom. The nearest KSRTC depot is at Kaniyapuram next door. The government cannot ask commuters to come to Kazhakuttom to board the Smart City bus to the city centre, he said. 

Mr. Kumar said the KSRTC was the ordinary person’s transport. “We cannot differentiate passengers based on whether they hail from the city, rural, rich, or poor neighbourhoods. The LDF government is people-centric,” he said. 

Mr. Rajesh said the corporation did not intend to procure electric buses nearing the end of their service life from the KSRTC. “The Corporation has enough space to park hundreds of buses without the KSRTC’s help. When the Centre provides new buses under the Smart City project, the council could debate contracting private operators to run the city service, he added.