18/02/2016
RTC to pamper patrons with cinemas, seat-back TV:
“We will set up a chain of 100 cinema theatres at RTC bus terminals across the State, besides opening medical diagnostic centres. The idea is to enable these bus stations to cater to the needs of passengers in as many ways as possible. “Of the total 423 bus stations in the State, 71 are lying unused. The Corporation will allow auction of bus station names and charge money from companies opting for this unique mode of advertising,” he explains. For instance, if a travelling passenger suffers from ill-health, he/she could undergo a medical check-up at the bus station itself,” says N. Sambasiva Rao, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, APSRTC.
Efforts on to galvanise the transport giant out of financial crisis through innovative schemes Transformation of bus terminals into multi-purpose zones, introduction of seat-back television in buses on the lines of aircraft and further scaling up of facilities at all bus stations across Andhra Pradesh; patrons of the AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) will get all this and more in the days to come. Bringing into play innovative schemes to galvanise the public transport giant out of financial crisis and put it back on the rails, the RTC authorities have already initiated a slew of measures to provide a facelift to the corporation, and the reforms spree continues, with officials all set to introduce more changes that will lend an additional sheen to the organisation. “We will set up a chain of 100 cinema theatres at RTC bus terminals across the State, besides opening medical diagnostic centres. The idea is to enable these bus stations to cater to the needs of passengers in as many ways as possible. For instance, if a travelling passenger suffers from ill-health, he/she could undergo a medical check-up at the bus station itself,” says N.
Sambasiva Rao, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, APSRTC. Commuters choosing to travel by the high-end Amaravati buses will have the privilege of seat-back television set with 60 channels to entertain them. “According to our calculations, it will cost us 6 paise to 10 paise per km, so we decided to go ahead with it,” Mr. Rao says. All this will happen in a month’s time, he adds. Taking an aggressive marketing route, officials have also drawn up plans to generate revenue from an unusual source—names of bus stops, which will now be prefixed by the name of a company. “We are trying to emulate the pattern embraced by the Delhi Metro service.