Indore: Buses to Jaipur, Pune, Ahmedabad, Shirdi by year end

Good news is in store for travellers looking to beat the frenetic end-of-the-year scramble for railway berths. Luxury and air-conditioned buses will be operated to Jaipur, Shirdi, Ahmedabad and Pune soon.

Good news is in store for travellers looking to beat the frenetic end-of-the-year scramble for railway berths.

HT Image

Atal Indore City Transport Services Limited (AICTSL) plans to wheel out luxury air-conditioned Volvo bus service to Pune, luxury and air-conditioned buses will be operated to Jaipur, Shirdi, Ahmedabad and Pune by the end of the month.

“The buses are being prepared and operations to these cities will begin by the last week of December,” said AICTSL chief executive officer Sandip Soni.

Two buses would ply on each route initially and the “number will be increased if required,” he added. The vehicles would be operated on a public-private participation (PPP) basis with the concessionaire paying a premium to AICTSL, the company that operates city buses.

In response to a question, he said the ticket rates were fixed by the government. So, how would the concessionaire recover his costs? Through advertising?

Soni said advertising revenues would be split between the concessionaire and AICTSL in a 60:40 ratio with the lion’s share going to the private partner He was, however, candid enough to admit that “there isn’t really much advertising on buses plying on inter-state routes.”

As for inter-city buses, the service to Burhanpur would begin soon.