BRTS cashes in on Kankaria Carnival

Next day,the revenue soared to Rs 1.76 lakh with an increase of 14,184 passengers.

December 27 saw a phenomenal jump of Rs 53,000 to Rs 2.29 lakh from 49,873 passengers,but on December 31,the last day of the festival,the BRTS clocked earning of Rs 2.48 lakh from 46,878 passengers.

A day prior,the number of passengers was higher at 48,647 but the income was only Rs 2,23,647.

Barring the first two days,the income was in excess of Rs 2 lakh till December 31 as the proverbial “west” and “east” met through the Ambedkar Bridge as the link,according to official figures of Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited (AJL).

But the AJL’s jubilation came to an end with the closure of the Carnival. On January 1,the income fell down to Rs 1.41 lakh and the number of passengers to 29,380.

Senior officials and BRTS planners hope to see a perpetual and dramatic increase in the number of passengers once the buses are extended to the Maninagar railway station in a couple of months.

Prof H M Shivanand Swamy,the man behind the BRTS planning,is optimistic about an increase in 30,000 passengers as a result of the extension,which he believes should translate into a daily earning of Rs 3 lakh.

“With the facility going to Naroda via Narol,another 40,000 passengers should be boarding the bus and the revenue will go up accordingly,” he added.

Municipal Commissioner I P Gautam said the project will break even once AJL complets 50 kms of the dedicated corridor,including Naroda,Narol and Maninagar areas.

“We will bank on passengers coming by train from Vadodara as they will greatly benefit from the BRTS service,” he said.