KSRTC in talks with IRCTC, eyes hospitality sector- The New Indian Express

Express News Service

KOCHI: Loss-making and debt-ridden Kerala State Road Transportation Corporation (KSRTC) is planning to introduce and explore new packages to increase its revenue. Top on the list is the introduction of inter-state and international tour packages at affordable prices in a tie-up with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

If all goes as planned, KSRTC’s Budget Tourism Cell (BTC) will launch its first tour package in association with IRCTC by December, officials said. If it works out, KSRTC buses will pick-up passengers and tourists from other states arriving at railway stations in a pre-arranged single-ticketing system. Likewise, they will be dropped at the respective stations after their tour in the state.

“Talks are ongoing with IRCTC officials. By the end of this month, we will get a clear picture,” said BTC state coordinator Prasanth Vijay. The plan also involves transporting international travellers arriving at the airports in Kerala using the IRCTC air ticket booking service.

Apart from this, BTC also aims to expand its wings in the hospitality sector.“We are planning to introduce ‘KSRTC Fresh’ with accredited hotels in Kerala to provide food to the passengers during long trips. An online food delivery service is also under consideration, by which  passengers can order food at a destination and, by the time, they reach there, food will be delivered,” said Prashanth.

Launched on November 1, 2021, KSRTC’s Budget Tourism celebrates its first anniversary with a record of completing over 2,500 trips and handling over 1.20 lakh passengers. “The target for the first year is Rs 10 crore and we have crossed Rs 8.5 crore by last month (September),” said a KSRTC official.

On average, BTC organises 300 trips per month and earns an income between Rs 75 lakh and Rs 1 crore. “Our target for the next three years is to organise 3,000 trips per month on average and generate a revenue of Rs 10-15 crore,” the official added.KSRTC also expects to set up BTC as a separate wing, offering tour packages at affordable prices. “With this, a part of the loss can be covered. The management has given a target to boost its revenue by at least Rs 10-20 crore from tickets alone,” said Prashanth.

Though the project received a good response from the public, the lack of buses in good condition at various depots led to the cancellation of a few trips.“Getting spare parts for the old buses is difficult. There is no separate fleet of buses for BTC. Once the revenue generation increases, we will think about it,” he added.

With BTC, a new work culture has been introduced among KSRTC employees. “We have targets and each employee’s achievement is analysed. There has been no major support received from the Kerala government or tourism department. The tour planning and coordination are being  done by the employees. Post-Covid, KSRTC is the only agency that has undertaken record trips in a year,” said a source.

<br /> KOCHI: Loss-making and debt-ridden Kerala State Road Transportation Corporation (KSRTC) is planning to introduce and explore new packages to increase its revenue. Top on the list is the introduction of inter-state and international tour packages at affordable prices in a tie-up with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).</p> <p>If all goes as planned, KSRTC’s Budget Tourism Cell (BTC) will launch its first tour package in association with IRCTC by December, officials said. If it works out, KSRTC buses will pick-up passengers and tourists from other states arriving at railway stations in a pre-arranged single-ticketing system. Likewise, they will be dropped at the respective stations after their tour in the state.</p> <p>“Talks are ongoing with IRCTC officials. By the end of this month, we will get a clear picture,” said BTC state coordinator Prasanth Vijay. The plan also involves transporting international travellers arriving at the airports in Kerala using the IRCTC air ticket booking service.</p> <p>Apart from this, BTC also aims to expand its wings in the hospitality sector.“We are planning to introduce ‘KSRTC Fresh’ with accredited hotels in Kerala to provide food to the passengers during long trips. An online food delivery service is also under consideration, by which  passengers can order food at a destination and, by the time, they reach there, food will be delivered,” said Prashanth.</p> <p>Launched on November 1, 2021, KSRTC’s Budget Tourism celebrates its first anniversary with a record of completing over 2,500 trips and handling over 1.20 lakh passengers. “The target for the first year is Rs 10 crore and we have crossed Rs 8.5 crore by last month (September),” said a KSRTC official.</p> <p>On average, BTC organises 300 trips per month and earns an income between Rs 75 lakh and Rs 1 crore. “Our target for the next three years is to organise 3,000 trips per month on average and generate a revenue of Rs 10-15 crore,” the official added.KSRTC also expects to set up BTC as a separate wing, offering tour packages at affordable prices. “With this, a part of the loss can be covered. The management has given a target to boost its revenue by at least Rs 10-20 crore from tickets alone,” said Prashanth.</p> <p>Though the project received a good response from the public, the lack of buses in good condition at various depots led to the cancellation of a few trips.“Getting spare parts for the old buses is difficult. There is no separate fleet of buses for BTC. Once the revenue generation increases, we will think about it,” he added.</p> <p>With BTC, a new work culture has been introduced among KSRTC employees. “We have targets and each employee’s achievement is analysed. There has been no major support received from the Kerala government or tourism department. The tour planning and coordination are being  done by the employees. Post-Covid, KSRTC is the only agency that has undertaken record trips in a year,” said a source.</p> <p>