The 10-day trial ‘Point Duty Programme’ introduced by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has turned out to be a hit. Authorities claim to have collected additional revenue of Rs 1.19 crore in the past one week after the programme was introduced.
Impressed with the success of the programme, transport minister Aryadan Mohammed is known to have asked the KSRTC to continue the programme in future.
The programme was conceived and implemented by the vigilance wing of the Corporation on April 1. The programme directed all KSRTC buses to halt at permitted stops and get maximum passengers to board the bus.
Following the programme, corporation collected Rs 31.88 crore from April 1 to 7, extra revenue of Rs 1.19 crore as compared to Rs 30.69 crore collected between March 25 to 31.
The Point Duty Programme was introduced in 160 major junctions across the state. “We also deployed 340 instructors for the purpose – 220 officers from the vigilance squad and 120 from team of ordinary branch instructors attached to the bus depots. The instructors supervised the bus services from 7.30 am to 10.30 am and 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm on all these days. We ensured that all KSRTC buses halt at all the permitted stops, but without any delay in the scheduled timing,” said vigilance officer Vasundharan Pillai.
The officer said that this programme was an answer to the complaint that KSRTC buses do not halt at all stops in peak hours.
In the first week of April, KSRTC could transport 2 lakh additional passengers a day on an average through the new initiative.
The trial programme will end this Wednesday. “We will make a detailed report with statistics on the programme and submit it before the administration on or before Friday,” the officer added.
However, KSRTC authorities are clueless on how to continue the programme. “The instructors, who were deployed for the 10-day trial initiative, have their own duties to be performed. We don’t think we will be able to deploy 300-odd instructors in future for the new initiative. At the same time, the programme will help instil in driver the habit to halt at all bus stops,” said a top official, requesting anonymity.
Source: Times Of India