Kochi: The loss-making KSRTC has embarked on a series of revolutionary measures to increase non-ticketing revenue by 40 per cent in the next five years.
The management has decided to do away with middle agents in handling advertisements, a major source of non-operating revenue. Its former managing director Tomin J. Thachankary has written to the chief secretary to instruct government and semi-government organisations to allot advertisements directly to the corporation from the next financial year.
“The organisations can advertise at low rates (two-thirds the cost of advertising through private agencies) on providing the ads directly. We too stand to benefit,” the letter said.
The ads through the corporation have a wide reach with the same being exhibited in 6,000-odd buses besides the bus terminals. “The corporation has dedicated staff working round-the-clock to print ads as per the ‘Art work’ concept of the advertiser. The printing expense comes to a meagre Rs 30 per sqft,” it said.
The letter also specified the rates for government ads – Rs 2710 on ordinary buses and '3600 on fast passenger and other super class buses for a month.
The corporation so far had entrusted a private agency to handle advertisements and used to receive a maximum of Rs 8 crore per year as revenue. The management hopes to earn over Rs 21 crore by directly accepting advertisements.
Meanwhile, the KSRTC leased out 64 mobile towers on its premises to three major mobile companies for Rs 24.5 crore per year. It would rent out another 32 towers shortly.
