The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Thursday launched value added services to commuters and reintroduced free distribution of packaged drinking water in premium services, including Airavat.
As part of the initiative, commuters get complimentary copies of The Times of India newspaper in the morning.
The KSRTC also introduced FASTag, an electronic payment system powered by Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID), that will save time at toll plazas on national highways as vehicles needn’t stop there to pay toll. It plans to introduce free WiFI in the coming days.
“We had to stop free distribution of packaged water due to high prices. We’re reintroducing it as Mysore Sales International Limited (MSIL) has come forward to supply bottled water at an affordable price,” said KSRTC chairman K Gopal Pujari after launching the value added services.
The KSRTC would earlier procure water at Rs 5.43 per 500 ml bottle before the service was stopped. Now, MSIL has agreed to supply it at Rs 4.30 per bottle.
The free distribution of packaged water will benefit over 29,000 passengers daily and the service will be provided in 626 premium services, including Airavat Club Class, Airavat Diamond Class, Airavat, AC Sleeper and Flybus.
The KSRTC has tied up with The Times Group to provide complimentary copies of The Times of India to passengers. Initially, the newspapers will be available in 104 premium buses and 4,621 copies will be supplied daily. KSRTC managing director S R Umashankar said the corporation plans to enhance the number of copies to 10,000 in the near future.
“The service will benefit passengers who take bus early in the morning. We aim to cover as many as passengers as possible,” said Umashankar. Initially, the newspapers will be available between 5am and 11am in buses leaving from the Kempegowda Bus Station, Mysore Road Satellite Bus Station, Shantinagar Bus Station, Kempegowda International Airport and Mysore Bus Station.
