The Himachal Pradesh Transport Corporation (HRTC) is set to surrender more loss-making routes in a bid to reduce its mounting financial burden. The decision was made during a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, where officials were directed to prepare a list of additional unprofitable routes to present to the cabinet. This move follows HRTC’s previous surrender of 275 routes, a process that remains ongoing as many routes have yet to be handed over to private operators.
Out of the 107 routes, HRTC surrendered last year, applications have been received for only 84, and just 54 of these were allotted to private operators on Monday. With the slow pace of transferring these routes, the corporation is now preparing to identify even more routes that are financially unsustainable. The list will be presented to the cabinet for approval.
The Deputy Chief Minister held a detailed meeting in Shimla with senior officials, including HRTC Managing Director Rohan Chand Thakur and Transport Director DC Negi, where the corporation’s growing losses—currently at ₹1,650 crore—were discussed. The Deputy CM has asked HRTC to draft a comprehensive proposal outlining how to manage the losses, which will then be reviewed by the state government in the cabinet.
HRTC had previously proposed transferring 168 loss-making routes to private operators. However, this plan faced objections from private operators, and several routes had not been approved by the Transport Department. After reassessing the routes, the corporation found 80 routes viable for private operation. Deputy Chief Minister Agnihotri has now directed HRTC to advertise these 80 routes and identify another 88 loss-making routes for surrender.
Currently, HRTC receives an annual government grant of ₹700 crore, but the corporation continues to struggle financially. Free travel services are being provided to 27 categories of passengers, which adds to the burden. One cost-saving measure already implemented is the suspension of discounted travel for police personnel, who were previously charged a monthly fare of ₹250.
As HRTC continues to identify and surrender loss-making routes, the government aims to reduce the corporation’s losses while ensuring that essential transportation services are maintained for the public. The upcoming cabinet discussions will determine the future course of action regarding these routes.
