Hyderabad: The RTC is preparing to introduce flexi charges for bus tickets on sectors that have high passenger demand. Passengers pay Rs 200 as flexi fare on the Bengaluru route on Garuda buses on Fridays and Sundays. The nearly 25 services operated on the route over the weekend record 100 per cent occupancy.
Fewer than 15 buses are operated on other days, and the fare is Rs 50 less on lean days, like Tuesdays. Likewise, the TSRTC is applying flexi fares on the Hyderabad-Pune route too, said chief traffic manager Muni Shekhar.
Recently, experts comprising former employees of RTC and former IPS officers who had headed the corporation had suggested many measures to raise revenues during a meeting. Important among them was extending the flexi fares on more routes. The TSRTC is also looking at entering the cargo business, among others.
TSRTC managing director G.V. Ramana Rao said, “A few years back, a study was conducted regarding RTC entering the cargo business, but it was not found to be feasible. A separate set-up within RTC has to be created to manage cargo services. Then, our buses have to be converted into cargo vehicles or new vehicles have to be purchased. If we had the money to purchase new vehicles, where would the need be to go for cargo services,” he asked.
Mr Shekhar said RTC would take up a study of routes wherein flexi pricing could be introduced. “The Bengaluru and Hyderabad-Pune routes have passengers comprising software employees who are willing to pay. Though there are other routes with heavy passenger flows, it has to be studied whether the passengers are willing to pay,” he added.
