Assam Transport Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on Wednesday flagged off the Volvo luxury segment buses at the office of the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC), Paltan Bazar in Guwahati.
The introduction of the luxury buses has been implemented in PPP mode.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
These buses will cover to and fro routes which would include Guwahati-Sadiya, North Lakhimpur-Guwahati, Guwahati-Siliguri and Guwahati-Sivasagar in the first phase and ply from the inter-state bus terminus (ISBT) in Guwahati.
Addressing the gathering during the inaugural ceremony, Minister said ASTC is a public service institution and he hoped that the luxury buses will be able to provide convenient and comfortable luxury services to the commuters at a competitive fare, which would be lower than the AC chair train fare in the State.
The buses, which have been introduced in PPP mode, will also contribute to the revenue of the ASTC.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The Minister further stated, “The luxury buses are equipped with AC, TV, wi-fi and mobile charging points. Besides, talks are also on with radio cab service, Ola to provide pick-up and dropping facility to the passengers for providing point to point connectivity.”
A total of 34 Volvo buses will be introduced by the ASTC. Another set of 175 Mercedes buses will also be introduced in the next phase by next month, the Minister informed.
The Minister expressed happiness at the fact that ASTC’s revenue has increased by 34 per cent and the expenditure has decreased by about 20 per cent.
He also said that the operational efficiency ensured through a slew of measures and dedicated service of ASTC staff will augur well for the future of ASTC.
ASTC Chairman, Ashutosh Agnihotri and managing director, AP Tiwari were also present in the meeting.