HRTC Dharamshala to retire 98 old buses

The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) Dharamshala division is set to remove around 98 old buses from its fleet, including 12-metre-long vehicles, with the scrapping process expected to be completed by December 25.

The corporation has initiated the process of condemning the buses. A division-level pre-condemnation committee meeting was held at Jasur on November 13, while a headquarters-level committee will inspect the vehicles at Jasur on November 23 before completing the formalities.

The management aims to conclude the entire process between December 20 and 25. As per the prescribed procedure, the division-level committee first examines the buses, followed by the headquarters committee. Once approval is granted, the vehicles are removed from the fleet and auctioned.

The 12-metre buses had faced operational difficulties primarily due to the lack of suitable routes rather than major technical defects. These buses were intended to operate on cluster and interconnected cluster routes, but the availability of such routes was insufficient, affecting their deployment.

The vehicles had also played an important role during the COVID-19 period, according to the information provided.

Meanwhile, several nine-metre JNNURM buses continue to operate at different locations. These buses were inducted into the corporation’s fleet in phases around 2014-15 and have been providing services for nearly 11 years.

The HRTC management has decided to remove the 12-metre buses from its fleet. The issue had also been clarified earlier by the Deputy Chief Minister.

Around 98 buses from the Dharamshala division have been proposed for condemnation.