Risk in Maintenance and Fuel Economy of Buses

Abstract

Maintenance of buses and fuel economy are inter-related. By identifying the specific elements of maintenance, there is a need to identify areas that need improvement and allocate resources. Since fuel makes up a relatively large fraction of total bus operating costs, fuel economy means a lot. The procedures to improve fuel economy are not achieved 100% through any simple technique. It is possible with the contributions of all the employees, like drivers, conductors, managers and technicians. Participation of all the employees in a balanced way leads to achieve the goal of maximum fuel efficiency. About 552 employees from Government and private sectors of Transport Industry have been chosen from Ramnad and Sivagangai Districts of Tamil Nadu for the study. Primary data has been collected by the focus on maintenance and fuel economy. The impact of age, experience and training on fuel economy was analysed in the study. The effect of various risk factors like maintenance, operational and technical on fuel economy has also been studied.