: Apart from passenger ticket revenue, the APSRTC is focusing on commercial earnings by introducing different services. Towards this, the corporation is planning to introduce cargo service, establish a subsidiary -- Civil Infrastructure Corporation – in New Year, besides permitting establishment of medical stores in association with private companies at bus stations across the State.
The corporation owns a fleet of 12,000 buses and is making plans to launch cargo service in the next two to three months.
“We are planning to launch on a small note and working on the project. However, the State government has to first amend the M.V. Act to facilitate RTC buses to be used for cargo service,” said RTC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director N. Sambasiva Rao here on Thursday. On the plans to permit medical stores at bus stations, Mr. Rao said talks were on with different companies. Elaborating on the plans to establish the subsidiary, he said the idea was to make best use of the vast lands owned by the corporation. “We have about 1,900-odd acres land, of these 250 acres can be straight away utilised for commercial purposes like constructing complexes, etc,” said Mr. Rao, while addressing media persons at the Pandit Nehru Bus Station. Compared to the losses of Rs.520 crore suffered last year, the corporation managed to reduce the losses by Rs.180 crore this year, despite the wage revision for employees. Focus would be on improving passenger amenities and service. Under the fleet replacement plan for 2016-17, the corporation intends to replace 668 super luxury buses, 379 deluxe, 1,146 express and 3051 Telugu Velugu buses.
In New Year, 45 — 30 Volvo and 15 Scania high-end air-conditioned buses named ‘Amaravati’ — would be launched and they would be operated on the Vijayawada-Bengaluru, Vijayawada-Hyderabad, Vijayawada-Chennai routes, he said.
The govt. has to first amend the M.V. Act to facilitate RTC buses to be used for cargo service
N. Sambasiva Rao
RTC Vice-Chairman and MD
