The Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) is all set to launch the cost-effective ‘One-Day Saving Card’ for its ordinary buses.
“Card costing Rs 330 would allow a passenger to travel 500 km in a day on any given route. It would also allow the passenger to take multiple buses,” said a spokesperson of the state Transport Department on Sunday. At present, a passenger has to shell out Rs 450 to travel 500 km on an ordinary PRTC bus. He said that the saving card would help commuters save Rs 120.
It would also save commuters’ time as they often have to stand in queues on certain routes before boarding a bus, added the spokesperson. He said that the Corporation would also launch trip-based monthly passes for ordinary buses, which would cut travelling cost by 50 per cent. Earlier, such passes were available only for students or Punjab Police employees.
A passenger in the future would only have to pay for 30 one-way trips even if he undertook 60 one-way trips, he said.
“On Patiala-Chandigarh route, commuters would have to pay for 40 one-way trips to go on 60 one-way trips. For instance, the PRTC charges Rs70 for a one-way trip to Chandigarh. Under the new scheme, a commuter would pay Rs2,800 instead of Rs4,200 to make 30 round-trips from Patiala to Chandigarh in a month,” he said.