Joy ride: yeh dil maange more

Joy ride: yeh dil maange more
By: Chetan R
Date: 2008-09-15

Bangalore:


Cool ride: Many takers for Volvos, when the ticket prices was slashed to Re 1 for three days Pic/Vinod Kumar T
Buoyed by the huge response to the Re 1 Volvo ride, the transport ministry plans to introduce special packages in Volvo buses during the festive seasons and over the weekends.

This is a bid to draw more people towards the BMTC's Vayu Vajras. It is also hoped that it will decongest the roads and increase the revenue inflow for the BMTC.

"We will introduce special packages to travel in Volvos," said R Ashok, transport minister, "This is in wake of the overwhelming response to Re 1 offer that has enabled the common man to travel by Volvo."

The Re 1 offer for travel in Volvo buses that was on from Thursday to Sunday, drew almost four times the regular number of travellers.

Volvos manage 15,000 to 16,000 passengers a day. But during this promotion the numbers shot up to 72,000 on Thursday, 97,000 on Friday and 89,000 on Saturday.

While the prices will reportedly come down by almost half the existing price during festivals, it'll be cut by 30 percent at weekends.

"Besides making lower middle class people travel by Volvos, such packages aim to make public transport popular. It will also reduce traffic congestion," said R Ashok, "The government will add more Vayu Vajras to the fleet of 154 buses."

90% loss actually

Despite the huge loss incurred due to the subsidised package, the BMTC is optimistic about increasing its revenue with more such packages.

It has reportedly incurred about 90 percent loss, compared to the expected revenue by large number of passengers in last four days. While average revenue expected on third day, out of 89,000 passengers is nearly 8,00,000, collected revenue is only Rs 89 000.

Officials deny any loss. "Loss and profit are part of a public transport service. We hope to perform better in days ahead," said Dastagir Shareiff, chief traffic manager, BMTC.