The Gazetteers Department

NATIONALISATION OF PASSENGER TRANSPORT was decided upon by the State Government in August 1947 and operations were started departmentally in June 1948, the administration of which was subsequently handed over to a statutory Corporation in December 1949, under the provisions of the Road Transport Corporation Act (XXXII of 1948). Since then the Corporation, has been reconstituted under the Bombay State Road Transport Act (XXV of 1950).

Organisation.

For administrative convenience of operations the entire State was originally divided into 16 viable units (now eight after transfer of three to Mysore and five to Gujarat) called divisions. The officer in charge of each division is the Divisional Controller who is a Class I Officer. The Divisional Controller is immediately under the control of the Central Office of which the General Manager is the administrative head, assisted by eleven departments, viz. (1) Administration, (2) Traffic, (3) Mechanical Engineering, (4) Accounts and Audit, (5) Statistics (6) Security, (7) Stores, (8) Civil Engineering, (9) Secretarial, (10) Legal, and (11) Central Workshops.

The nationalisation of services was started in Kolhapur district in July 1950. The Divisional Controller, is the Head of the Division and responsible for the operations. He is assisted by seven Class II officers, who are charged with the following functional responsibilities.

Administration and Traffic.-There are two Officers under these heads of activity. The Divisional Traffic Officer who is in charge of all matters related to traffic and operations and the Labour Officer who looks after all matters relating to labour relations with the administration. Matters relating to publicity in the division are also looked after by the Labour Officer.

Accounts and Statistics.-These branches are manned by two Officers, the Divisional Accounts Officer and the Divisional Statistician.

Technical.-The technical side of the division is looked after by the Divisional Mechanical Engineer with the assistance of a Divisional Works Superintendent. Besides, there are as many Depot Managers as there are depots who are wholly responsible for the working of the depots.

Statistics.

The operations started with 37 buses plying on 15 routes. By 31st May 1957 the operations were practically spread over the whole district, the division holding a fleet of 250 buses plying on 171 routes. The buses put on the road have, on an average, a seating capacity of 38.3, exclusive of seats for the driver and the conductor. The average daily mileage operated by these buses during May 1957 was 21,002 carrying on an average 53,761 passengers per day.

The division also holds a fleet of 12 trucks as on 31st May 1957. These trucks operate as public carriers on contract basis, on terms prescribed by the Corporation. Besides these contracts, scheduled lorry services are also operated on the Miraj-Kolhapur route every day and on the Ichalkaranji-Bombay route every week, for the carriage of goods.

Workshops and Depots.

The light and heavy repairs of the buses and trucks are carried out at the Divisional Workshop, which is situated at Kolhapur. Further, after the operation of every 12,000 miles, the vehicles are routed by the depots to the Divisional Workshop for preventive maintenance. In addition, a number of depot workshops are situated at each of the following places for the daily maintenance of the vehicles viz. Kolhapur (82), Karad (31), Sangli (31), Vita (17), Islampur (16), Ichalkaranji (14), Tasgaon (12), and Jath (7). The number of vehicles attached to each of these depots are given in brackets. Regular daily and weekly servicing, weekly and 3,000 mile docking for maintenance are carried out in these depots.

Amenities.

For the convenience of the travelling public the corporation has been providing a number of amenities. So far bus stations have been erected at Kolhapur, Umbraj, Sangli, Karad, Islampur, Jaisingpur, Vita, Tasgaon, Vadgaon, Kadepur, Jath, Miraj, Mayani, Khanapur and Ichalkaranji. Canteens with 'pan bidi' stalls and fruit-stalls have been attached to them at Kolhapur, Umbraj, Sangli, Karad, Islampur, Jaisingpur, Vita, Tasgaon, Vadgaon, Kadepur, Jath, Miraj, Mayani and Khanapur.

Welfare Facilities for Employees.

The corporation also provides welfare facilities to its employees. Facilities for sports, medical attention, and canteens have been provided for workers at Kolhapur. A Staff Institute and Reading Room has also been provided at Kolhapur and rest rooms have been opened at Kolhapur, Tasgaon, Ichalkaranji, Islampur and Jath for the inspection staff. About 60 tenements for the staff are under construction in the proposed housing colony at Kolhapur.

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