From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jan 9: It is Rest In Peace (RIP) for as many as 143 Tata Marco Polo AC buses, which have been in operating in the urban transport routes in Bengaluru and Mysuru.
The Tata Marco Polo air-conditioned buses were introduced with much fanfare in the city routes of Bengaluru and Mysuru but were found to be virtual ``White Elephants’’ as their performance with rated very poor but high in operational costs and environmental pollution due to excessive fumes.
The State Cabinet, which reviewed the entire issue at its meeting in Bengaluru on Friday, decided to scrap as many as 143 Tata Marco Polo AC buses, which are in service in Bengaluru and Mysuru for city commuting.
The State Government has also decided to conduct a probe into the reasons and motives behind the purchase of these buses, which have proved a big burden on BMTC and other transport corporations in the State.
Briefing the reporters on the State Cabinet decisions, Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister TB Jayachandra said of the 143 Marcopolo buses, 98 were being operated by BMTC and the rest are in service in Mysuru city.
Each of these buses cost a whopping Rs 30.99 lakh, he said.
Tata Marcopolo buses have been bogged by too many technical problems which include, low suspension, emitting high exhaust fumes besides high accident rate.
Their maintenance cost too is too high, Jayachandra said and pointed out that the State Government felt there was no point in running the buses.
“We have to cut our losses rather continuing with feeding the white elephants,’’ he said.
Continuing them in service would have caused another Rs 67crore loss in the next two years, the minister said.
The buses, which were being purchased since 2009 under the Union Government sponsored JNNRUM scheme, are causing a loss of Rs 1.56 crore per month.
In Bengaluru alone, the Tata Marco Polo buses were causing a loss of Rs 19 crore per year to the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).
Jayachandra said the departmental probe would examine on what considerations the decision was taken to purchase these buses.
Extraneous reasons, if any, which influenced the decision and other aspects behind the decision, Jayachandra said.
Aked why the government was not trying to sell these buses instead of scrapping them, he asked: “Who will buy them? Do you want?’’