Bus crew of State Transport Corporations (STC) have a new target to achieve: earnings per kilometre (EPKM).
Earlier, only a fuel consumption parameter – kilometres per litre (KMPL), was fixed as a daily target for these bus crew. The new target has been added to the list keeping in mind the financial health of STCs (except the Metropolitan Transport Corporation), which is critical at present.
The target is Rs. 30 for every kilometre operated. What this means is that bus crew will no longer be able to skip bus stops, or hurry through stages. The onus is on making the service more friendly to passengers and winning their patronage.
Enquiries reveal that the new parameter came into effect after STCs began facing the heat following the success of oil companies in fixing a higher unit cost for diesel supplied to their bulk customers, which include the State-owned Transport Corporations, compared to the unit cost of diesel sold to the public through petrol bunks.
Thus, the STCs were made to shell out a considerable amount of their daily collection on the same day towards fuel costs, as the bus crew were directed to fill up their diesel tanks before parking the vehicle at the depot every night.
This had a direct impact on the overdraft facility hitherto enjoyed by the STCs.
And so, after careful consideration of various factors and prolonged discussions with the government at different levels, it was decided to fix a daily collection target for the bus crew, sources said.
Subsequently, bus crew were informed about their new daily collection target by pointing out that unless this target was achieved, it would not be possible to maintain the financial status of STCs at an affordable position.
At the same time, bus crew deployed to operate town services have been directed to achieve the EPKM target to the maximum possible extent since the fare charged in town services is much lower, sources added.
While the fare to travel in an ordinary service operated by STCs has been fixed at 42 paise per kilometre, the government had fixed Rs. 12 as the maximum fare to be collected from a commuter travelling in ‘city or town services’ operated by the STCs for a maximum distance of 40 km from the originating point.
Good sales of mofussil bus monthly tickets
Meanwhile, the newly-launched monthly season tickets (MST) for mofussil bus commuters has attracted the attention of some regular passengers in certain corridors of STC (Villupuram division), Kancheepuram zone.
While 93 regular commuters in the Kancheepuram-Koyambedu corridor, passing through Sriperumpudur, Irunkattukottai and Poonamallee, have opted for MSTs, 53 passengers commuting between Kalpakkam and Thiruvanmiyur have purchased MSTs.
In all, around 280 commuters had availed of this facility in the Kancheepuram zone, helping the Corporation realise a sum of Rs. 3 lakh through MST sales during the last three months, sources said.
