HRTC to display ads on tickets, mobile app

With an aim to promote public awareness campaigns, publicity messages and other relevant advertisements, the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) has decided to display advertisements on bus tickets, e-tickets as well as its mobile application, for which the corporation has invited government as well as private organisations to avail the opportunity.

Nipun Jindal, Managing Director, HRTC, said, “HRTC issues around four lakh paper tickets daily through electronic bus ticketing machines (EBTMs), in addition to about 1,500 e-tickets per day via its online booking portal and mobile app. With the corporation catering to nearly five to six lakh passengers daily, the initiative provides a vast and inexpensive medium for publicity campaigns, both for government schemes and private ventures.”

“The board of directors of HRTC has approved advertisements to be displayed through printing messages on thermal bus tickets either at the top or bottom, on PDF e-tickets issued through the online portal and mobile app, through push notifications on the portal and app, and on the backside of EBTM thermal rolls. The approved rates for these advertisements have been fixed separately for government and non-government organisations,” he said.

“For printing messages on thermal tickets, the rates are 15 paise per impression for non-government organisations and 10 paise per impression for government bodies at the top of the ticket, while the bottom space is available at 10 paise and 8 paise per impression respectively. Advertisements on PDF e-tickets will cost 50 paise per impression for non-government organizations and 30 paise for government departments. Push notifications on the online booking portal and mobile app will be charged at one rupee per impression for private organizations and 50 paise for government. Advertising on the backside of thermal paper rolls will be charged at Rs 10 per roll for private entities and Rs 8 for government, inclusive of printing costs,” said Jindal.