The loss-incurring Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) is turning profit-making with its new truck service, saving nearly Tk 157-million in surplus earnings in the first eight months of this year.
The BRTC imported 500 trucks from India for cross-country goods transportation even during the pandemic period since the launch of the service in 2019-2020.
The surplus income is higher than that of the state-owned bus-truck operator from other services.
According to BRTC data, Tk 41.2 million was surplus in August from its bus, workshop, and training centre's earnings and expenditure.
The trucks were imported under the third line of credit in 2018 to breathe new life into goods transportation as almost all 90 trucks in its fleet lay inoperative.
Official record shows that the BRTC has earned Tk 157-million surplus income till August from its Dhaka and Chattogram truck depots.
During the period, Tk 7.89 billion was earned and Tk 6.32 billion spent.
"This has been possible for engaging those with goods transportation of state entities on contracts which started last year," said an official.
The BRTC has so far signed agreements with Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation, Karnaphuli Paper Mill, Bangladesh Army, Fenchuganj Fertiliser and Department of Disaster Management to ensure the use of trucks.
A Chattogram depot source says almost all of its 276 new trucks are in use every day, earning Tk 664 million in September.
Educational institutions, sugar mills and the army hire these trucks on a regular basis, thus contributing to the depot's increased earnings in recent times.
BRTC chairman Mohammad Tajul Islam says BRTC trucks are in great demand, but the service may get a lift if covered vans can be added to its fleet.
The corporation has a plan to set up two more truck depots-one in Khulna and the other in Bogura, he adds.
The BRTC was established in 1961 as a state-owned commercial service provider. It has now 1,231 buses in operation and 37 under lease.
It has imported more than 1,200 buses from India, Korea and China since 2009.
But many of them collapsed shortly after hitting the streets, making the BRTC suffer massive losses, let alone the burden of salary and other benefits.
The autonomous transport corporation has always been tainted with corruption and mismanagement in the delivery of services.
It has so far added Volvo, Chinese low-cost buses, Korean Daewoo and Indian buses, including articulated ones, to its fleets.
Volvo buses were later withdrawn for the corporation's failure to maintain the vehicles.
Some 3,611 buses have been purchased since 1972-1973 at the cost of Tk 13 billion.
Mr Islam says the BRTC is now profitable entity as earnings from all services have augmented.
But expenditure continues to grow due to pending issues like salary, pension, gratuity and operating costs.
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