Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Hike in diesel price adds fuel to MTC financial crisis

By Akila Dinakar

CHENNAI June 6. The announcement of a hike in oil prices has put the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), tottering on the brink of a financial crisis, in a greater fix.

The Transport Minister, R. Viswanathan told The Hindu, that the hike in prices of diesel and the concomitant increase in the overall transportation costs has caused an additional estimated expenditure of Rs. 2.7 lakhs per day, Rs. 80 lakhs per month and around Rs. 10 crores per year. The Minister said that during the previous Government, no outstanding dues of the Transport Corporations to the oil companies were paid and the price hike came in as an additional burden. Ruling out any hike in fares, the Minister said that the MTC would set right the deficit by improving the kilometres per litre (KMPL) of the bus, driver training skills and night maintenance of vehicles.

``The usual practice was to leave the bus at night in the depot and start it for the morning service with all the operational defects of the previous day going unattended. Night maintenance can help to avoid the problem'', the Minister said.

Swaran Singh, Managing Director, MTC said that losses incurred by way of diesel consumption could be brought down by reducing the 45 lakh `dead kilometres' travelled by the buses. Vehicles, for instance plying from Vallalar Nagar, travel three stops up to the Tondiarpet depot for the night halt. The to and fro trip between Tondiarpet and Vallalar Nagar adds to dead kilometres as no commuters are being taken within the stretch. To solve this problem night halts for buses would be provided at different areas close to their last stop in Karanodai, Red Hills, Pakkam and Ennore. Double decker and vestibule buses halt at Alandur to begin their morning service from Anna Nagar West Depot. These buses will stop for their last single at Anna Nagar, except those that have problems of night schedule repair. Training programmes will be given for drivers towards adoption of fuel-saving measures. Personnel will be sent on deputation to the Anna Institute of Management and the Institute of Road Transport. Vehicle manufacturers will also be involved in providing training for fuel savings for the bus crew.

Adopting a micro-level approach to inspection of operations, officers will be given three depots instead of larger zones. This will minimise the diesel expenses of office vehicles. Depots and drivers who achieve the highest savings in diesel use would be given awards, the Managing Director said.

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