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KSRTC to offer concession for Malappuram students

MALAPPURAM: Students in Malappuram district will soon get concessions on Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses if an assurance given by Transport Minister Mathew T. Thomas is put into practice. KSRTC officials have, however, expressed doubts whether the proposal can be implemented.

The Minister had assured the Assembly on Monday that the government would consider giving concession in fares to students on KSRTC buses in Malappuram. He was replying to a submission by Abdurahman Randathani, MLA from Tanur, who has raised the issue of student travel a couple of times in the Assembly.

Student concession is becoming increasingly problematic as private bus operators are complaining that they are made to bear the burden while the KSRTC denied any concession.

The KSRTC had refuted former District Collector Sumana N. Menon’s attempts to persuade the corporation to give concession to students in the district citing financial constraints and non-availability of buses. The KSRTC managing director had written to Ms. Menon that giving concession to students in Malappuram would not be feasible for the corporation.

KSRTC officials pointed out that the corporation would have to divert from the policy of giving student concession only on nationalised routes if Mr. Thomas’s assurance was to be implemented.

They added that there would be some practical difficulties as well in giving concession to students. KSRTC will either have to begin special buses for students or increase the existing number of services. KSRTC accounts for less than eight per cent of the total bus services in Malappuram. In the State, KSRTC accounts for 13 per cent of the services.

Even if KSRTC begins issuing concession passes to students, it will not be as flexible as that of the private buses. Students will face problem on routes where there are no direct buses. KSRTC does not permit students to use the pass for onward journey. Besides, students cannot use the pass for more than a round-trip a day.

This, however, is not the case with private buses. Some students travel by private buses several times using concession cards.

Another problem the students will face will be, having to buy the concession ticket a month or two in advance from KSRTC. Those buying KSRTC passes will most likely depend on the corporation’s buses, whose frequency is much lower than that of private services.

Students will have certain advantages too, said the officials. “There will be no problem over timing. They will not have to stand inside the bus if seats are vacant. They will also not have to queue in the sun outside the bus as they are made to do by private bus workers,” said a KSRTC official.

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