KOZHIKODE: In a move to drag itself out of the financial crisis, the ailing Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is now considering to act as carriers of couriers. Various courier companies have expressed interest by asking them to submit their proposals before August 16.
"KSRTC operates around 4,800 buses a day and covers every nook and corner of the state. We are planning to effectively utilise this potential to associate with a courier company and to transport the couriers with bus services. "The companies should bring the couriers to the respective bus stations and should collect the same from the destination. If the project materialises, it would provide additional income to the corporation without incurring any expenses," said KSRTC Chairman and Managing Director Alexander K Luke. In fact, the idea of launching courier service through buses was the brainchild of former Transport Minister Mathew T Thomas. However, it did not take shape under his regime. "It's a good idea to gain nonoperating income for the corporation, which is the only way to resolve the financial crunch. We welcome any good initiative by the govt to save the corporation. Earlier, we had invited expression of interests from courier companies. But, few companies responded," Mathew T Thomas MLA said. He said the considerable increase in number of buses and the distance being covered in a day would make the project more viable now. "In 2006, the distance covered per day was less than 11 lakh km. Now, it is more than 17 lakh. Courier services can make use of this connectivity to strengthen their distribution network," he added.
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