CSTC to spend over Rs 6cr annually for new JNNURM fleet of bus

The Calcutta State Transport Corporation (CSTC) would spend over Rs six crore annually for the maintenance of the recently included fleet of AC and non-AC JNNURM buses in the city.
The Corporation has appointed two outstation agencies - a Delhi-based and an Ahmedabad company - for the technical maintenance of the entire JNNURM fleet of 632 buses for CSTC.
Another city-based agency would look into the non-technical upkeep of the AC JNNURM buses.
While a five-year contract has been signed between CSTC and the two outstation agencies, it has also entered into a three-year tie-up with a city-based agency, CSTC Managing Director Bhishmadeb Dasgupta said.

The technical-maintenance has been categorised into three sections - daily, special and break-down maintenance.
A budget of Rs four crore for the daily-technical maintenance and Rs one crore and 70 lakh have been alloted for the special maintenance of the buses.

For the day-to-day technical-maintenance, the agencies would be paid a daily sum of Rs 212 for each bus, he said, adding that the rate for the daily technical-maintenance, however, would be increased after two years.
The technical-maintenance includes management of the spare parts, engine, tyres, inspection of all sorts of technical faults, checking the vehicle emission standards.
"The technical maintenance is the most important part for these Bharat Stage IV (BS IV) buses. We have outsourced the service....These are sophisticated vehicles and with time they need proper maintenance. And that's why we have given the responsibility to agencies who are handling JNNURM buses in other states," Dasgupta said.