The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is bringing in artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle one of its long-standing operational headaches — bus bunching, where two or more buses on the same route arrive close together, cutting into revenue.
Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar said the corporation is in the process of purchasing AI-based scheduling software, a first for any transport corporation in the country. The system will use ticketing machine data and staff duty patterns to fine-tune schedules.
Under the new approach, no new services will be deployed solely on an individual’s decision — the AI’s suggestions will guide scheduling. For example, if a bus from Ernakulam and another from MC Road are set to reach Angamaly around the same time, the software will recommend a gap between them, either by advancing one schedule or delaying the other. The minister said such adjustments could potentially cut daily losses by half.
Alongside the tech move, KSRTC is set for its largest fleet modernisation yet. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will launch 340 new buses in Thiruvananthapuram on August 21. The ₹108 crore purchase, cleared by the finance department, includes super deluxe, super-fast, fast passenger and ordinary buses, with two new categories — link buses operating under takeover permits from private operators, and 8-metre minibuses for rural routes.
The minister added that all super class buses will be replaced with air-conditioned ones, particularly for inter-state services such as to Bengaluru.
Officials claim that KSRTC’s recent reforms helped bring monthly losses down by ₹10 crore. Average daily collection has risen to ₹7.45 crore, with expectations of ₹8.5 crore once the new buses start running.
Officials say this could allow KSRTC to post a daily operating profit for the first time in its recent history.