After new diesel deal, PRTC to save ₹4 cr a year

IOC HAS AGREED TO GIVE PRTC FRESH REBATE ON DIESEL. IT WILL NOW COST THE CORPORATION ₹52.44 PER LITRE AGAINST ₹53.76

PATIALA:The cash-strapped Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) that loses around ₹1 crore a year will save around ₹4 crore a year on its diesel cost, managing director Manjit Singh Narang has claimed.

“The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has agreed to give the PRTC a fresh rebate on diesel. Diesel will now cost us ₹52.44 per litre against ₹53.76 previously. With our daily consumption at 85,000 litres, we will save ₹33.6 lakh per month and ₹ 4 crore a year,” Naranag said.

The new rates follow the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the PRTC and the IOC.

Under the MoU, the PRTC had struck a deal with IOC for five years for the rebate of ₹1.05 per litre over procurement of diesel in bulk on diesel, but, the IOC has now agreed to an additional discount of ₹1.32 per litre.

“With increased in number of buses in past two years, we decided to approach the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for additional rebate,” Narang said. He added that from 900 in 2015, the PRTC now operated 1,075 buses.

FARE HIKE HELPED RAISE ₹2.4 LAKH A DAY The decision of the Punjab government to increase bus fare by three paisa per km, helped cashstrapped PRTC to improve its fiscal condition as the corporation has started generating a revenue of at least ₹72 lakh per month, adding ₹2.4 lakh per day to its daily revenue receipt of ₹1.15 crore.

From June onwards, the travel cost in ordinary buses is pegged at ₹1.02 per km, while the fare of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) buses is ₹1.22 per km, which is 20% in excess of the ordinary buses.

Meanwhile, those travelling by integral coaches have to pay ₹1.83 per km, while the charges of a super integral coach will be ₹2.04 per km, which is double the fare of the ordinary buses.

The PRTC has nine depots across the state and has a fleet of a total of 1,075 buses, including 25 heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and 12 Volvo buses.