Despite the strong criticism from various quarters, especially from the side of employees’ outfit, the newly launched KSRTC-SWIFT, a legal entity formed by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to run long-haul services, has clearly made its presence felt by steadily increasing its monthly revenue.
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The new company that launched its maiden service on April 11 and clocked a revenue of ₹1.44 crore in the opening month, has steadily increased its revenue to ₹5.25 crore in May and ₹6.45 crore in June. Up to July 20, the KSRTC-SWIFT has collected a revenue of ₹4.50 crore. Normally, the monsoon months used to record a lower revenue than other months due to the reluctance of people to travel during rainy days.
But from August onwards, the revenue of KSRTC buses used to show marked improvement with more passengers travelling. Further, there was already a good response for the bookings for the KSRTC-SWIFT services for the coming months, indicating heydays ahead for the public utility, said KSRTC authorities.
The public utility also denied reports that its Ernakulam-Kozhikode route was making losses due to poor patronage. KSRTC-SWIFT deluxe buses have been operating along the route, in which passengers beyond seating capacity would not be entertained, said KSRTC officials. The employees unions have been protesting against the new company right from its inception, as it was formed taking over the long-haul services of the KSRTC.