'Save Fuel' campaign a success in KSRTC: CMD

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 2 (UNI) With the implementation of 'Save Fuel' campaign, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has succeeded in improving its overall fuel efficienty to 4.01 Km per litre from the earlier 3.74 Km, its Chairman and Managing Director K P Somarajan said today.

With the campaign, introduced from April 2005, the KSRTC, which runs its buses an average of 12 lakh Kms daily, succeeded in saving 22,000 litre of diesel a day, he said adding the savings on account of fuel saved per month comes to Rs 2.24 crore per month and Rs 30 crore a year.

Considering the excellent performance in reducing losses to the Corporation by increasing fuel efficiency, the Institute of Economic Studies (IES), New Delhi had given 'Excellence Award' to the KSRTC and 'Udyog Rattan' to its CMD, he told reporters here.

The campaign was being implemented with the active co-operation of drivers, mechanical and other staff and officers with the involvement of Indian Oil Corporation and Petroleum Conservation and Research Associaion of India, he said.

Under the programme, more than 3,000 drivers had been trained in fuel saving driving techniques at the Staff Training Centre here, which helped them to achieve better fuel efficiency in the KSRTC.

Mr Somarajan said, the KSRTC's goal was to take fuel efficiency to 4.50 Km per litre.

He said the cumulative loss of the Corporation was estimated at Rs 1,500.22 crore as on date.

The KSRTC, the largest public utility service in the state, was carrying around 36 lakh passengers daily through its 3,600 schedules and its average income from per bus was Rs 6,150, he added.

Though other states were providing financal assistance to its transport corporations no such aid was received by the KSRTC, he pointed out.

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