Want to modernise all major bus stands by 2018: KTC chief

 which in turn would reduce pressure of traffic on the roads, said Vasco MLA and KTC Chairman Carlos Almeida while presenting KTC performance report in Vasco on Friday.

“I am proud to say that KTC today has been working as team having cordial relationship with staff and Officers. Due to these coordinated efforts, KTC have managed to increase the revenue by 2.19% and cut down expenditure by 6.26% and have gained overall profit of 5.19 crores in the financial year 2015-16 as against loss of Rs 1.80 crore in 2014-15. This is the first time in last 29 years of KTC history, that KTC managed to overcome from losses and achieved the profit figure. Our next step is to modernize all major bus stands in Goa by December 2018.  Also we have set the target to emerge as one of the largest and modern transportation mode of Goa by December 2018 and we hope that people will stop using cars and bikes and would opt for using bus service which in turn would reduce the pressure of traffic on the roads” he said.

Almeida also claimed that in last five years, KTC procured 344 new buses out of which 83 buses are used to ferry school students, taking the total bus strength to 544 buses. Similarly KTC have scrapped 226 buses and 54 new innovative routes have been added in the fleet. He said that KTC aims of getting Ultra Modern Bus stand work at Vasco completed by December 2018, and even the other ongoing Bus stand project work at Ponda, Marcel would be completed at earliest. 

“Our aim is to connect rural areas to urban areas and thus we have been making efforts to run more buses in routes left out or neglected by private operators.  Similarly we have also planned to introduce Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in Margao- Canacona route. Once this is implemented, we would take over all the private buses (life of bus not exceeding over five years) and we would keep our conductors while the bus owner would give his bus along with driver and I am sure that this route would be more commuters friendly,” he said.

In a major announcement that would provide immense relief to the passengers coming down for a short trip to Goa, the KTC has decided to start clock room facility at Panjim Bus terminal soon. “We have already repaired and renovated toilets at Panjim bus stand, now we want to start clock room facility at Panjim bus stand,  Almeida said.