The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is truly a white elephant. Everything is wrong with this organisation. And I'm not going to back up my statement with hard statistics because it has been done many times over and no one has learnt any lessons from them, so why labour?
I've seen this pampered organisation over the years. Everything is wrong with it! Let me highlight the things that I've realised are the true causes for its decline:-
(a) Bad leadership. The person who sits at the top needs to run an effective organisation. He needs to
take stock of the health of the organisation and administer the bitter pill, if necessary, to straighten
it. Ill health has to be treated, never be allowed to fester and populism will end up in disaster.
Unfortunately the chairmen, who'd held the position being political appointees, were ignorant of the
dynamics of a transport organisation and they didn't seem to care as they're more busy playing
politics all the time.
(b) Unnecessary governmental interference. Since the chairmen, appointed by it, turned out to be
ineffective even the day to day running of the organisation had to be taken over by the government
especially, when certain 'aggressive' transport ministers made it a prestigious issue to see that their
writ ran, always and every time.
(c) Disastrous trade unionism. The workers are divided among the various trade unions whose aim
seems to ruin the organisation. Why don't they realise that if their organisation isn't healthy and is
not running well, their fate would be in jeopardy? While the right of the worker against exploitation
of any kind is reprehensible and the trade unions must be vigilant on this aspect, they've no right to
come in the way of running an efficient organisation.
(d) An unfriendly workforce. The drivers and the conductors that man the vehicles of the corporation
are the most unfriendly workforce that one has come across. What they seem to forget is that they're
paid to to do their work sincerely and efficiently - with the attendant courtesies to be shown to the
common man, their customer. Boarding a bus from the stops other than the bus stands can be a
disappointing experience and asking for the balance change brings out the boor in many!
(e) The angry public. And periodically, during the hartals and bandhs called by the various political
parties, the agitating public destroy the vehicles of the corporation causing further loss to the loss
making organisation!
And now, the government has given a reprieve of Rs. 28 crores, to the corporation, to tide over its dichotomy over increased prices of diesel. Another case of aimless expenditure but it has been pressed on for political expediency.
Why can't the organisation be privatised, handed over to the workers and make them convert it into an efficiently run organisation? And yes, all the stake holders must promise to nurture it, come what may. And above all, take pride in the organisation!
Tailpiece.
I happened to travel in one of the Volvo buses of the neighbouring Karnataka state road transport corporation which is perhaps the only public transportation system running efficiently and is making profit. And I wonder as to why our blessed KSRTC(Ironically, they share the same acronym!) had to be so bad!
I've seen this pampered organisation over the years. Everything is wrong with it! Let me highlight the things that I've realised are the true causes for its decline:-
(a) Bad leadership. The person who sits at the top needs to run an effective organisation. He needs to
take stock of the health of the organisation and administer the bitter pill, if necessary, to straighten
it. Ill health has to be treated, never be allowed to fester and populism will end up in disaster.
Unfortunately the chairmen, who'd held the position being political appointees, were ignorant of the
dynamics of a transport organisation and they didn't seem to care as they're more busy playing
politics all the time.
(b) Unnecessary governmental interference. Since the chairmen, appointed by it, turned out to be
ineffective even the day to day running of the organisation had to be taken over by the government
especially, when certain 'aggressive' transport ministers made it a prestigious issue to see that their
writ ran, always and every time.
(c) Disastrous trade unionism. The workers are divided among the various trade unions whose aim
seems to ruin the organisation. Why don't they realise that if their organisation isn't healthy and is
not running well, their fate would be in jeopardy? While the right of the worker against exploitation
of any kind is reprehensible and the trade unions must be vigilant on this aspect, they've no right to
come in the way of running an efficient organisation.
(d) An unfriendly workforce. The drivers and the conductors that man the vehicles of the corporation
are the most unfriendly workforce that one has come across. What they seem to forget is that they're
paid to to do their work sincerely and efficiently - with the attendant courtesies to be shown to the
common man, their customer. Boarding a bus from the stops other than the bus stands can be a
disappointing experience and asking for the balance change brings out the boor in many!
(e) The angry public. And periodically, during the hartals and bandhs called by the various political
parties, the agitating public destroy the vehicles of the corporation causing further loss to the loss
making organisation!
And now, the government has given a reprieve of Rs. 28 crores, to the corporation, to tide over its dichotomy over increased prices of diesel. Another case of aimless expenditure but it has been pressed on for political expediency.
Why can't the organisation be privatised, handed over to the workers and make them convert it into an efficiently run organisation? And yes, all the stake holders must promise to nurture it, come what may. And above all, take pride in the organisation!
Tailpiece.
I happened to travel in one of the Volvo buses of the neighbouring Karnataka state road transport corporation which is perhaps the only public transportation system running efficiently and is making profit. And I wonder as to why our blessed KSRTC(Ironically, they share the same acronym!) had to be so bad!
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