Vol. 5, Issue 12, Part F (2019)

Abstract
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), to all intents and purposes, came into being on September 12, 1948 to cater to the transport needs of the people of Karnataka. With over 70 years of service behind it, a brief review of its operations during the recent past is welcome. The researcher investigated the various aspects of its operations during the period FY 2014 to FY 2019, to ascertain if it had fulfilled the lofty objectives underlying its constitution. The researcher’s findings led him to conclude that an augmentation of its fleet had led to a rise in its traffic revenue. The augmentation of the fleet did not happen at the requisite pace though. The number of passengers the corporation transported daily also trended higher with each passing year. The passenger fare generated by the corporation in the process, registered a healthy and consistent CAGR. However, the profit figures had followed an erratic trend-so erratic that it defied all logic! During the six years under review, it was in positive territory only on two occasions, transitioning to the negative territory on four occasions. Interestingly, this happened despite the traffic revenue not faltering significantly during the period under review. Augmentation of the fleet must be taken seriously since a CAGR of under one percent in the fleet size made sad reading. The corporation must innovate its services basket to raise its traffic revenue.