The APSRTC has launched a drive, ‘Sankalp 100,' with employees playing a pro-active role to improve the all-crucial occupancy ratio (OR) and to better maintain the vehicles.
In the 100-day drive that is being implemented in the four districts comprising the Vizianagaram zone from Ugadi, the crew voluntarily forgo one of their weekly offs in a month and work extra to help the premier transport organisation gain.
Teams of four members each will station themselves at important junctions where there is heavy passenger density to enable passengers board buses without any hitch and increase their number. Also buses will be maintained to run without any problem to optimise their utilisation, RTC Visakhapatnam Regional Manager P.V. Rama Rao told The Hindu on Tuesday. The efforts are aimed at increasing the corporation's earnings in the north coastal and East Godavari districts.
The RTC plies 600 buses a day on an average in the city carrying around 4 lakh passengers earning between Rs. 20 lakh and Rs.30 lakh. The occupancy ratio in the city in April last is 53 per cent. The main competition for the city buses is from auto rickshaws.
The drive will be of help to commuters too as it will make boarding a little easier during peak hours. Stray instances of buses rushing off hardly allowing commuters to board the bus occur. For instance, on Tuesday buses were allowed to move from NAD Busstop towards Kancharapalem only after a halt of two minutes.
The decision to launch the drive was taken after the new Executive Director (Vizianagaram Zone) A. Venkateswara Rao took over recently. A meeting was held with union representatives and officials on March 18 and 19 at Visakhapatnam leading to ‘Sankalp 100.' “Because of holidays during the past three days the impact is low. But once the working days resume we hope the results will show,” adds Mr. Rama Rao.
