KSRTC Political Dispute
Thiruvananthapuram
The controversy over city e-buses in Thiruvananthapuram intensified on Wednesday, as Kerala Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar responded to Mayor V.V. Rajesh’s allegations about the deployment of buses outside city limits.
The dispute began after Mayor Rajesh claimed that KSRTC had shifted the Corporation’s e-buses to other districts under political pressure. Ganesh Kumar, a former film star, countered that the buses were procured under a state-led project, with the government contributing Rs 500 crore—60% of the total cost—and that KSRTC purchased 113 e-buses through a three-party agreement.
The Minister clarified that the buses were not being operated elsewhere due to maintenance challenges, citing that replacing a single damaged battery could cost Rs 28 lakh. He also offered to return all 113 e-buses to the Corporation within 24 hours if requested in writing, while noting that the buses would not be allowed to be parked at KSRTC premises.
Ganesh Kumar suggested that the Mayor had been misinformed and emphasized that KSRTC provided drivers, conductors, and workshop facilities for the buses. “We are ready to return the vehicles without any hesitation,” he said.
Mayor Rajesh insisted that e-buses should serve residents within the city limits and accused political influence of altering the deployment. He stressed that contract terms could not be changed arbitrarily and called for the Corporation’s rightful share of profits from bus operations.
The row comes months after the BJP made history by winning the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for the first time, ending over four decades of CPI(M)-led Left Front rule. The ongoing tension highlights challenges in managing e-mobility projects amid political transitions and administrative responsibilities in the city.
