RTC suffers R273cr loss; fuel price major concern

The Road Transport Corporation (RTC) has faced a loss of around `103.6 crore thanks to the ever increasing fuel prices all through the year. The hike in diesel prices has contributed around 38 per cent of the total loss of `273 crore that the corporation has faced till September, this year.

Despite, the continuous rise in fuel prices, the corporation managed to move on with the same ticket pricing for the last three years, without burdening the commuters.

Out of the 10,500 vehicles that the corporation has, 8,500 are its own and the rest are hired vehicles, so in order to manage the fuel requirement of its own vehicles, RTC has its own bunks in individual depots, and the fuel company supplies to each depot depending on the requirement. Currently, the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) is looking after the fuel needs, according to RTC officials.

There has been an increase of nineteen rupees since, last year April, in its fuel price, as it climbed from `56 to `77 per litre. The daily requirement of fuel lies at 5.5 lakh litres per day in the state, without fail. Even a slight increase of a rupee in the pricing causes a drastic difference in the overall loss in an annum. The corporation has spent around `705 crore for the same purpose this year.

R103.6cr: Loss due to fuel hike.

R56: Price of fuel to RTC in 2017 (a litre).