NBSTC

NBSTC launches fuel saving scheme

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 4: The North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) launched a fuel saving programme to beat the price hike of petrol and diesel. Under this programme the drivers and mechanics of the NBSTC are being trained of techniques to save fuel. Today, a hostel was inaugurated for the trainees at the NBSTC' workshop in Cooch Behar. The hostel may accommodate ten trainees at a time. Senior officials of the NBSTC were present at the inauguration ceremony.

 

NBSTC sources said that at present about 550 buses ply in various routes. The fuel required per month to maintain the service is about 10,80,000-litre. The NBSTC has to spend more than Rs 3-crore per month to meet the cost. After the recent price hike of fuels the cost rose by Rs 25-lakh per month.

 

It was learnt that in a meeting that was held on 27 June in Kolkata, the transport minister Mr Subhas Chakraborty had instructed the five state transport corporations of this state to take up cost saving measures as the state government has to extend Rs 300-crore per year as subsidy to these five transport corporations. It is hard for the government to increase the fund.

 

The existing number of employees and workers in the NBSTC is about 5,000 and Rs 6-crore is needed per month for their salary. The state government extends Rs 4-crore as subsidy to the salary of the personnel. The management of the NBSTC fears that the state government may decrease the annual subsidy in near future. To meet the changing situation the NBSTC management already hatched a few cost saving plans.

 

The management of the NBSTC feels that fare hike is essential to make the two ends meet. It is preparing a proposal to the effect to submit to the government. At the same time, the NBSTC will not recruit any new employee and the posts to be vacant after retirement of personnel concerned will not be filled up with new ones. The cost to maintain the establishment will also be pulled down.

 

As a measure to the fuel saving plan the NBSTC already started a training programme for the drivers and mechanics. They are being trained in batches. A hostel for the trainees was inaugurated today. []