Poor response to KSRTCs ambitious courier plan

KOZHIKODE: Giving a major blow to the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation’s (KSRTC) revival hopes, its plan to act as carriers of couriers to earn non-operating income has received fewer responses from the courier companies.Officials said that only one application had been received in favour of the project as the last date for submitting tenders ended on October 10.The proposal was to transport couriers and postal articles through KSRTC super fast and super express buses plying along the national highways. The plan was to generate non-operating income for the Corporation that has been suggested as an option to come out of the financial crunch. At present, the Corporation suffers a monthly loss of more than `25 crore. The facility for transportation of couriers has been arranged in Thiruvananthapuram Central, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikkode, Kannur and Palakkad bus stations and the minimum charge fixed is `2 for each article weighing upto 10 gram.However, KSRTC chairman and managing director Alexander K Luke said the Corporation would not give up the project and would soon call all established courier companies operating in the state for a discussion regarding the same. “We are going to deal this proactively. There are a number of courier companies in the state but none of them participated in the tender process. To know the reasons behind this and to understand what these companies are really expecting from the Corporation, we are planning to call them for a discussion,” he told Express.The CMD said that the Assam Road Transport Corporation has been doing transportation of couriers successfully for years and is earning a good revenue from the courier business. “KSRTC operates around 4800 buses in a day and covers every nook and corner of the state. Utilising this potential, we too can carry outthis business effectively. The corporation can guarantee transportation of couriers across the state in time.  The companies would have to bring the couriers to the respective bus stations and should collect the same from their destinations,” Alexander K Luke said.