The Coimbatore division of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) has seen a dip in revenue by nearly ₹ 40 lakh from operation of special buses for Pongal, according to officials.
The officials said on Wednesday that the revenue for Coimbatore division was around ₹ 11.29 crore this year, while it was ₹ 11.68 crore last year.
The dip in revenue was despite the increase in the total number of kilometres covered by the special buses this year, officials said.
The special buses covered a total distance around 49 lakh km this year, while the total distance covered in 2021 was around 45 lakh km. The patronage in buses that returned to Coimbatore after Pongal was low amid the rise in COVID-19 cases, according to the officials.
TNSTC Coimbatore Division operated 240 additional buses this year from January 12 to 14 from Coimbatore to clear the additional rush of passengers for Pongal. This comprised 100 buses via Madurai, 40 buses via Theni and 50 buses via Madurai and Salem each.
The buses were operated with 75% seating capacity as per the COVID-19 restrictions of the State government.
