E-Paper
Thanks to long-route buses, Chandigarh Transport Undertaking profit up 55%
Additionally, revenue from suburban routes witnessed a growth of 26.7% in 2022-23 compared to the profit generated in 2021-22
With the introduction of several new buses on long routes and the revival of several old routes, the revenue of the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) surged by 55.5% in 2022-23 compared to the profit earned in 2021-22.
Additionally, revenue from suburban routes witnessed a growth of 26.7% in 2022-23 compared to the profit generated in 2021-22.
Pradhuman Singh, director of UT transport, said not only had revenue increased but also the number of kilometers covered in the past year. On long routes, CTU’s total revenue rose from ₹57 crore in 2021-22 to ₹90 crore in 2022-23. He added that the distance covered by the buses also increased from 1,43,86,150.89 km to 1,83,45,460 km, respectively.
Similarly, on suburban routes, CTU’s profit increased from ₹7,55,22,310 in 2021-22 to ₹9,57,48,745 in 2022-23. Singh mentioned that the distance travelled by buses also increased from 27,58,003.18 km to 28,95,094.56 km.
Regarding the substantial rise in revenue, Pradhuman Singh said a team from AG (audit) UT has just completed the audit of CTU. He stated, “During the scrutiny of CTU’s operational and revenue records, the audit team acknowledged CTU’s performance in its audit note and marked it as an achievement under the ‘best practices’ category.”
The audit note mentioned, “CTU expanded its bus services by adding new routes, such as Khatu Shyam, Salasar Dham and Varindhavan, and by resuming some long-closed routes, like Tanakpur, Katra, Manali, etc. This way, CTU has better served the public, and depot – I (which operates long-route buses) significantly increased its revenue receipts in 2022-23 compared to previous years. This achievement is highly commendable.”
Currently, around 580 CTU buses operate from different depots. All buses from depot number 3 operate on suburban routes, while long-route buses run from depot number 1. Buses from depot numbers 2 and 4 serve local and tricity routes, with the revenue generated going to the Chandigarh city bus services society, operating under the CTU’s aegis.
To increase revenue further, CTU has decided to expand its ticket booking reach by partnering with various online platforms. This expansion aims to increase departmental revenue as buses will attract more passengers with enhanced online accessibility.
Pradhuman Singh said they aim to make CTU accessible on as many online platforms as possible to enable easy bus ticket bookings from anywhere. “This will provide greater convenience to passengers and boost CTU ridership,” he added.
The official mentioned that they had already signed an agreement with Red Bus India Private Limited and were actively seeking partnerships with other websites for online ticket reservations.
CTU buses connect to various cities, including Khatu Shyam, Salasar, Haldwani, Amritsar, Shimla, Manali, Delhi, Rewari, Narnaul, Rohtak, Hisar, Dehradun, Mansa, Katra, Agra, Jaipur, and others. The department currently operates around 119 HVAC buses, including 20 recently procured ones.
For commuter convenience, CTU has recently introduced 20 new AC buses on 11 long routes in neighbouring states. These buses operate from the Inter-State Bus Terminals in Sectors 17 and 43. The official noted that these buses are equipped with modern facilities, including air-conditioning and comfortable seating. With the addition of these 20 AC buses, which were procured at a cost of approximately ₹12 crore, CTU’s long-route fleet has now expanded to 223.”
