Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Encyclopedia
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is the state-run bus company in Kerala
, India
. It is one of the oldest state run public bus transport services in India.
State Transport Department, constituted by the former Travancore Government with the intent of reorganizing the transportation services of the former state. Mr. EG Salter, Assistant Operating Superintendent of London Passenger Transport Board
, was appointed as Superintendent of the Transport Department on 20 September 1937. The Travancore Transport Department grew with nationalisation of key interstate routes such as Thiruvanathapuram to Kanyakumari and Palakkad
to Coimbatore
.
The first fleet consisted of 60 Comet chassis fitted with Perkins diesel engines, imported from England. The bodies of the buses were built by the staff of the Travancore State Transport Department under the supervision of the Superintendent. The model for the selection of operating staff continues to be followed by the current operating staff. The Transport Department gave preference in recruitment for those who were likely to lose their the private transport company jobs resulting from the nationalization of Thiruvanathapuram Kanyakumari route. Thus the Transport Department began with a staff of about a hundred graduates appointed as Inspectors and Conductors.
The State Motor Service was inaugurated by His Highness Sree Chithirathirunal on the 20th of February 1938. His Highness and his kin were the first passengers of the system on the inaugural trip; Superintendent Salter was the driver of the bus. This bus, along with the thirty-three other buses brought on road driving through the Kowdiar Square was an attraction at that time.
Following the enactment of the Road Transport Corporation Act in 1950, the Government of Kerala formulated KSRTC rules in 1965 by Section 44. The Transport Department was converted into an autonomous corporation on 1 April 1965 and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation was formally established by the government of Kerala by the notification dated, 15 March 1965.
, Tata Motors
and Volvo
buses, midibuses, and minibuses. The fleet composition as of 6 December 2010 was:
on its Central Workshop premises.
The prescribed minimum charges are:
The revised fares went into effect at midnight 07 December 2008.
was the minimum fare in 1938. The first class tickets had cost 50% more than the coordinating rate. During that period free travel was allowed for children up to 3 years and only half the fare was charged for children until age 14. There were no luggage tickets, but when the luggage weighed more than 28 pounds up to 56 pounds, a fee was assessed for 4 chakras. Passengers with luggage that weighed more than 56 pounds were assessed a fee of 6 chakras up to 112 pounds and above. As the Chakram had triple the value of a 100 rupee currency note today, the cost of travelling was comparatively higher during those days.
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is one of the oldest state run public bus transport services in India.
History
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation began as the TravancoreTravancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
State Transport Department, constituted by the former Travancore Government with the intent of reorganizing the transportation services of the former state. Mr. EG Salter, Assistant Operating Superintendent of London Passenger Transport Board
London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
, was appointed as Superintendent of the Transport Department on 20 September 1937. The Travancore Transport Department grew with nationalisation of key interstate routes such as Thiruvanathapuram to Kanyakumari and Palakkad
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
to Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
.
The first fleet consisted of 60 Comet chassis fitted with Perkins diesel engines, imported from England. The bodies of the buses were built by the staff of the Travancore State Transport Department under the supervision of the Superintendent. The model for the selection of operating staff continues to be followed by the current operating staff. The Transport Department gave preference in recruitment for those who were likely to lose their the private transport company jobs resulting from the nationalization of Thiruvanathapuram Kanyakumari route. Thus the Transport Department began with a staff of about a hundred graduates appointed as Inspectors and Conductors.
The State Motor Service was inaugurated by His Highness Sree Chithirathirunal on the 20th of February 1938. His Highness and his kin were the first passengers of the system on the inaugural trip; Superintendent Salter was the driver of the bus. This bus, along with the thirty-three other buses brought on road driving through the Kowdiar Square was an attraction at that time.
Following the enactment of the Road Transport Corporation Act in 1950, the Government of Kerala formulated KSRTC rules in 1965 by Section 44. The Transport Department was converted into an autonomous corporation on 1 April 1965 and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation was formally established by the government of Kerala by the notification dated, 15 March 1965.
Fleet
The corporation has a fleet of 5,691 buses consisting Ashok LeylandAshok Leyland
Ashok Leyland is a commercial vehicle manufacturing company based in Chennai, India. Founded in 1948, the company is one of India's leading manufacturers of commercial vehicles, such as trucks and buses, as well as emergency and military vehicles. Operating six plants, Ashok Leyland also makes...
, Tata Motors
Tata Motors
Tata Motors Limited is an Indian multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Mumbai, India. Part of the Tata Group, it was formerly known as TELCO...
and Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
buses, midibuses, and minibuses. The fleet composition as of 6 December 2010 was:
| Service Type | Model | Numbers | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Ordinary | Ashok Leyland Viking, Tata 1510 & Tata 1512c Tata 1510/1512 The Tata 1510/1512 is the largest selling bus model seen regularly in India and neighbouring countries and the Seychelles. Made by the industrial giant, Tata Motors, it combines good features and low ownership cost.... |
150 | Ordinary Buses in Thiruvananthapuram for city transportation. |
| City Double Decker | Ashok Leyland Titan | 2 | Double Decker buses in Thiruvananthapuram charging ordinary fares. |
| Ananthapuri Fast / Thiru Kochi | Ashok Leyland Viking, Tata 1510 & Tata 1512c Tata 1510/1512 The Tata 1510/1512 is the largest selling bus model seen regularly in India and neighbouring countries and the Seychelles. Made by the industrial giant, Tata Motors, it combines good features and low ownership cost.... |
206 | City buses in Thiruvananthapuram / Kochi with 2x2 seating layout. |
| Low Floor AC City Bus | Volvo 8400 Volvo B7RLE Volvo B7RLE is a low-floor single-deck citybus launched initially in Australia in 2001, and then in the United Kingdom in 2003 to supplement the B7L single-decker, which was unsuccessful in both countries. It is similar to the B7L's predecessor, the B10BLE... |
80 | Low Floor AC City Buses under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission is a massive city modernisation scheme launched by the Government of India under Ministry of Urban Development. It envisages a total investment of over... scheme in Thiruvananthapuram / Kochi with 2x2 seating layout. |
| Low Floor Non-AC City Bus | Ashok Leyland 11m Panther Low Floor | 240 | Low Floor City Buses under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission is a massive city modernisation scheme launched by the Government of India under Ministry of Urban Development. It envisages a total investment of over... scheme in Thiruvananthapuram / Kochi with 2x2 seating layout. |
| Minibus Minibus A minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a... |
Tata 709E, Ashok Leyland Stag | 161 | Mini Buses are used on small feeder routes charging ordinary fares. |
| Midibus Midibus A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which generally are larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between and long... |
Tata 1510/1512 Tata 1510/1512 The Tata 1510/1512 is the largest selling bus model seen regularly in India and neighbouring countries and the Seychelles. Made by the industrial giant, Tata Motors, it combines good features and low ownership cost.... c, Ashok Leyland Cheetah |
200 | Midi Buses with shorter wheelbase (176 in wheelbase) are used on routes in hilly areas, ghats and small narrower roads charging ordinary fares. |
| Venad/Malabar - Limited Stop Ordinary | Ashok Leyland Viking, Tata 1510 & Tata 1512c Tata 1510/1512 The Tata 1510/1512 is the largest selling bus model seen regularly in India and neighbouring countries and the Seychelles. Made by the industrial giant, Tata Motors, it combines good features and low ownership cost.... |
1,435 | Low fare, comfortable buses used as Town to Town with 3x2 seating layout and Ordinary Fare Stage. |
| Ordinary | Ashok Leyland Viking, Tata 1510 & Tata 1512c Tata 1510/1512 The Tata 1510/1512 is the largest selling bus model seen regularly in India and neighbouring countries and the Seychelles. Made by the industrial giant, Tata Motors, it combines good features and low ownership cost.... |
3,809 | Short routes served by older buses that used to run on higher grade services |
| Fast Passenger | Ashok Leyland Viking, Tata 1510 & Tata 1512c Tata 1510/1512 The Tata 1510/1512 is the largest selling bus model seen regularly in India and neighbouring countries and the Seychelles. Made by the industrial giant, Tata Motors, it combines good features and low ownership cost.... |
920 | Short and long distance no frill services with 3x2 seating layout. |
| Super Fast | Ashok Leyland Viking, Tata 1510 & Tata 1512c Tata 1510/1512 The Tata 1510/1512 is the largest selling bus model seen regularly in India and neighbouring countries and the Seychelles. Made by the industrial giant, Tata Motors, it combines good features and low ownership cost.... |
291 | Fast, long distance services with 3x2 seating layout. |
| Super Express | Ashok Leyland 12M, Ashok Leyland Viking & Tata 1612c | 79 | Faster, long distance services, often interstate with 3x2 seating layout. |
| Super Express Airbus | Ashok Leyland 12M & Tata 1612c | 70 | Newly introduced long distance services on 12 m chassis, often interstate with 3x2 seating layout with more leg room and rear air suspension. Four buses have 2x2 seating layout |
| Super Deluxe Airbus | Ashok Leyland Ashok Leyland Ashok Leyland is a commercial vehicle manufacturing company based in Chennai, India. Founded in 1948, the company is one of India's leading manufacturers of commercial vehicles, such as trucks and buses, as well as emergency and military vehicles. Operating six plants, Ashok Leyland also makes... Viking & Tata 1616c |
34 | Luxury interstate and intrastate services, often long distance with 2x2 reclining seats and rear air suspension. |
| Kerala AC Air bus | Tata Globus Tata Globus Tata Globus is a range of fully built buses manufactured by Tata Motors.The Tata Globus Range is available in 13, 18, 20 and 45 seater configurations... |
20 | Luxury buses, intrastate and interstate, often long distance with 2x2 reclining seats and full air suspension. Lower fare than a Volvo. |
| Garuda Volvo (AC) | Volvo 9400 | 3 | Interstate Services Luxury Buses to Bangalore Bangalore Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and... with 2x2 reclining seats and full air suspension. |
| Total | 5,691 | Total number of Schedules : 5,143 |
Depots and Workshops
KSRTC has twenty eight depots, forty-one sub-depots, eighteen operating centres, and five workshops spread throughout the Kerala. In 1995 Kerala State Road Transport Corporation ventured into the technical education field by establishing an engineering college named Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering at PappanamcodePappanamcode
Pappanamcode is a town bordering Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, India.-Geography:Located enroute to Nagecoil from Trivandrum, it is approximately 5 km from Thampanoor Railway station or Bus station. There is a KSRTC bus depot as well as the KSRTC Mechanical Engineers Central Work...
on its Central Workshop premises.
Facts
- The daily scheduled distance for bus services has increased from 12,00,000 km to 14,22,546 km.
- Nearly 5,373 buses run on 4,795 schedules everyday.
- Average number of passengers transported in a day is 31.45 Lakhs (3.145 million)
- The average earnings per km (EPKM) works out to around 25.69 and the average earnings per bus (EPB) works out to 8,329.
Fares
55 paise for City/Ordinary Services, 57 paise for City Fast/Fast Passenger/Limited Stop Fast Passenger Services, 60 paise for Super Fast Services, 65 paise for Super Express Services, 75 paise for Super Deluxe/Semi Sleeper Services, 90 paise for Luxury/High-Tech/Air Conditioned Services and 110 paise for Volvo Services.The prescribed minimum charges are:
- Rs 4.00 for City/Ordinary services/City Fast Services
- Rs 5.00 for Fast passenger/ Limited Stop Fast Passenger Services
- Rs.10.00 for Super Fast Services
- Rs.15.00 for Super Express
- Rs.20 for Super Deluxe/ Semi Sleeper Services
- Rs 30 for Luxury/Hi-tech/Air Conditioned/Volvo Services.
The revised fares went into effect at midnight 07 December 2008.
Historical fares
Half a ChakramChakram
The chakram , sometimes called a war quoit, is a throwing weapon from India. Its shape is of a flat metal hoop with a sharp outer edge from in diameter...
was the minimum fare in 1938. The first class tickets had cost 50% more than the coordinating rate. During that period free travel was allowed for children up to 3 years and only half the fare was charged for children until age 14. There were no luggage tickets, but when the luggage weighed more than 28 pounds up to 56 pounds, a fee was assessed for 4 chakras. Passengers with luggage that weighed more than 56 pounds were assessed a fee of 6 chakras up to 112 pounds and above. As the Chakram had triple the value of a 100 rupee currency note today, the cost of travelling was comparatively higher during those days.
External links
- http://www.keralartc.com/
- http://www.keralamvd.gov.in
- KSRTC Kerala Online Ticket Booking