Privatisation increasing rapidly in UPSRTC

The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) is witnessing a steady rise in privatisation. Drivers and conductors are now being recruited through private firms, roadways workshops are being outsourced, and bus stations are gradually being handed over to private entities. In addition, external consultants are being hired. In a first, even depot incharges have now been recruited through private firms. The corporation assigned the task of recruiting depot incharges and law officers to a firm named Vanshika.

Shrinking Workforce in UPSRTC

The number of officers and employees in UPSRTC is declining, leading to operational challenges at depots and bus stations. There is an acute shortage of drivers, and the lack of officers in workshops and bus stations is further straining operations. Direct recruitment for key posts has remained suspended for several years, forcing the corporation to rely increasingly on external hiring.

In line with this trend, the corporation administration recently appointed 68 depot incharges and six law officers through interviews conducted by a private firm. Among the newly recruited depot incharges, 26 belong to the general category, 16 to OBC, 12 to Scheduled Caste, one to Scheduled Tribe, and three to the EWS quota.

19 Workshops Outsourced to Private Firms

Earlier, UPSRTC had transferred control of 19 workshops to private firms. These include the Sohrab Gate Depot in Meerut, Chhutmalpur Depot in Saharanpur, Etah Depot in Aligarh, Vikas Nagar Depot in Kanpur, Nazirabad Depot, Hardoi Depot, Awadh Depot, Zero Road Depot, Taj Depot, Sahibabad Depot, Badaun Depot, Etawah Depot, Jhansi Depot, Cantt Depot, Banda Depot, and Balrampur Depot.

23 Bus Stations to be Developed on PPP Model

The corporation has also decided to develop 23 bus stations under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Private firms will build and operate these stations for the next 90 years. The bus stations earmarked for PPP development include Charbagh (Lucknow), Sohrab Gate (Meerut), Zero Road (Prayagraj), Amausi (Lucknow), Ayodhyadham, Raebareli, Kaushambi (Ghaziabad), Bus Station (Ghaziabad), Depot Workshop Amausi (Lucknow), Bus Station Bulandshahr, Bus Station Depot Workshop Sahibabad (Ghaziabad), Noida Bus Station, and Foundry Nagar Bus Station/Depot Workshop (Agra).

Official Statement

Principal Manager and Spokesperson of UPSRTC, Amarnath Sahay, stated that depot incharges and law officers have been appointed to address the shortage of officials. He assured that the selection process was based on interviews and that the results have been declared. The arrival of these officers is expected to streamline operations and improve efficiency.