Watch tv on long-distance journeys

Travellers on long-distance buses and trains can expect their journey to become more enjoyable with the authorities planning to provide personalised television sets and Internet facilities on the move.

Travellers on long-distance buses and trains can expect their journey to become more enjoyable with the authorities planning to provide personalised television sets and Internet facilities on the move.

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After the Central Railway (CR) announced its proposal for mini-televisions with headsets, behind the headrest of every seat in eight long-distance trains, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) is planning something similar for its passengers.

“We are planning to place mini-TV sets behind every seat of long-distance AC buses. This would give passengers another mode of passing their time rather than simply staring out of window,” said MSRTC Managing Director, Deepak Kapoor.

The MSRTC will first identify routes where buses run for more than 8 hours. Gradually, they will make this facility available for shorter and popular routes. “We cannot forget the routes that give the organisation maximum revenue,” said another MSRTC official.

Passengers can now watch television serials and music programmes. They will also be able to make travel and hotel bookings using the Internet.

The fare is expected to increase but the final amount has not yet been decided. While the CR called for tenders for the mini-TV sets inside AC chair car trains around 20 days ago, the MSRTC would soon call for tenders.