Chandigarh Transport Undertaking revenue surges 55.5% in 2022-23

Tribune News Service

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, September 12

The Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) has achieved a financial milestone with its revenue soaring by 55.5% during the fiscal year 2022-23 compared to the previous year. The surge in revenue can be attributed to a series of strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing transportation services in the region.

Pradhuman Singh, Director of UT Transport, said the CTU implemented several key measures, including the introduction of buses on long routes and the revival of old routes, leading to an unprecedented increase in income.

Long route expansion

In 2022-23, the CTU witnessed a substantial revenue of Rs 90.94 crore, up from Rs 57.07 crore in 2021-22 on long routes. Simultaneously, the distance covered by the CTU buses on these routes surged from 1.43 crore km to 1.83 crore km, showcasing a significant expansion in services.

Sub-urban growth

Sub-urban routes also contributed significantly to the CTU’s success as the revenue witnessed a growth of 26.7% from Rs 7.55 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 9.57 crore in 2022-23. The distance travelled on these routes increased from 27.58 lakh km to 28.95 lakh km.

Pradhuman expressed his satisfaction with the department’s performance, highlighting that the CTU had surpassed the revenue generation target set by the Finance Department. He added that the Audit Team from AG (Audit) UT praised the CTU’s efforts in expanding services and serving the public better, terming it a notable achievement.

On substantial rise in revenue, Pradhuman said a team of the AG (Audit), UT, had just concluded the audit of the CTU. “During scrutiny of the operational and revenue record of the CTU, the audit team appreciated and acknowledged the performance of the CTU in its audit note on record and marked it as an achievement and also put this on record under the ‘Best Practices’ head,” he said.

“The CTU increased its bus services by adding new routes like Khatushyam ji, Salasar Dham, Varindavan, etc and by resuming some routes closed since long like Tanakpur, Katra, Manali etc. This way, the CTU has served the public in a better way and Depot – I (which runs long-route buses) increased its revenue receipt significantly in 2022-23 in comparison to the previous years. This is highly appreciable,” mentioned the audit report.

Online booking

To further boost revenue and enhance passenger convenience, the CTU is actively seeking partnerships with various online platforms for ticket booking. An agreement with Red Bus India Private Limited has already been inked, and the department intends to collaborate with more websites for online reservations.

Enhanced fleet

The CTU operates a comprehensive network of buses, covering destinations such as Khatu Shyam, Salasar, Haldwani, Amritsar, Shimla, Manali, Delhi, Rewari, Narnaul, Rohtak, Hisar, Dehradun, Mansa, Katra, Agra, Jaipur and more. The department boasts of around 119 HVAC buses, including 20 newly acquired ones.

Several old routes revived

Pradhuman Singh, Director of UT Transport, said the CTU implemented several key measures, including the introduction of buses on long routes and the revival of old routes, leading to an unprecedented increase in income. The audit team praised the CTU’s efforts in expanding services and serving the public better.

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