Kochi: Taking dig at trade unions, Transport Minister A K Saseendran today said those opposing reforms wanted to the burial of the cash-strapped KSRTC.

Inaugurating the new office of the north zone in Kozhikkode, he said the zones were created to streamline operations of the corporation and make it financially viable.

The zonal heads had been empowered to take independent decisions on issues, including transfer, for making administration easier, he said.

He said north zone had maximum depots of Kozhikkode, Malapuram, Palakkad, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargod. while the south had just Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pattanamthitta and Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur in the central one.

KSRTC had decided to start Maveli service from other major cities in neighbouring Chennai, Coimbatore, Mysuru and Bengaluru to compete with private operators who charged exorbitant fares from people coming home during vacations, he said.

It would also operate chill services to Palakkad and Coimbatore.

The corporation was planning to run additional 1,000 buses from August 17 to September 1 from major cities and towns in the State to Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Coimbatore.

Multi-axle Scania, multi-axle Volvo, AC buses, super deluxe, super fast and fast passenger buses would be operated.