KOCHI: Sending parcels through KSRTC’s hit courier service will soon be a much easier affair. Customers will no longer be required to deposit or pick their parcels up from the designated courier counters. Instead, the KSRTC is all set to start pick-up and door-delivery services, a long-pending demand, as part of its road map to increase efficiency, both service and in-house.
To facilitate the same, the transport corporation has entrusted the courier operations to Singhu Solutions, a company based in Andhra Pradesh, on a commission basis.
“We’ll initially introduce delivery services, for which the AP-based company has been given a deadline of six months,” a senior KSRTC official in charge of the parcel and courier venture told TNIE.
“We’re striving to start the services within three to four months. We’re planning to make deliveries within a 10km radius of the collection centres. The new company needs to get acclimatised to the operations and the geography here. The courier pick-up service will be provided at a later stage,” he said.
Currently, customers need to deposit the parcels at the designated counters and the receiving party too needs to come to the respective counter at the destination point to collect the same. Once the new services get rolling, the company officials will deliver the parcels at the doorsteps of the intended parties and also collect the parcels from the houses of customers.
The KSRTC now has 46 dedicated parcel counters in the state, besides the two outstation centres of Coimbatore and Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu. The corporation has plans to start courier counters in Karnataka as well.
Aims three-fold revenue
The KSRTC is eyeing a three-fold increase in revenue through the parcel and courier venture by entrusting the operations to a private party.
The authorities, though, rejected charges that the corporation will lose a sizable portion of the profit by doling out a commission of 19.85%to the AP company.
“We’ve selected the company through a proper bidding process. The company is also running the courier service of the APSRTC and their annual turnover is Rs 200 crore. Though not on that level, we are eyeing a three-fold rise in revenue collection. So far, our expenses, including the staff salary, have been around 35 to 40% of the revenue. Now, the company will meet the expenses, including staff salary,” the official said.
Currently, the corporation enjoys an average monthly revenue of `50 lakh, with the parcel counter at Vyttila Mobility Hub the best performing one with a revenue of Rs 30 lakh per month.
The KSRTC authorities refuted allegations that the entire parcel and courier service has been privatised.
“We’ve only entrusted the operation to the private company. The software, counters, and responsibility all lies with the corporation. The only change is that the company will manage the operations and it will be paying the salaries to the staff,” the official explained.
Started in mid-2023, the courier service has turned profitable as the corporation promised delivery anywhere in Kerala within 16 hours.
Privatisation claims
The KSRTC authorities refuted allegations that the entire parcel and courier service has been privatised
The software, counters, and responsibility all lies with the corporation. The only change is that the new company will manage the operations and pay salaries to the staff, said an offical