Aditya Travels is a trusted and reliable fleet operator, with its head office located at the centre of bus fleet operators hub – Kalasipalyam in Bengaluru. Connecting Karnataka with the neighbouring States like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Maharashtra, Aditya Travels has seen an exponential growth in its fleet operations during recent times. We spoke to Mr. Vijaya Sai, Founder and Managing Director, Aditya Travels, at its head office in Bengaluru.
Speaking to MOTORINDIA, Mr. Vijaya Sai said: “Aditya Travels journey started with a passion, way back in 2013. My intention with first steps in the bus fleet operator business was to provide reliable and sustainable passenger services with a well-maintained fleet. I initially started my services on the Hyderabad – Bengaluru route with a 1+1 AC sleeper coach service. After a start-up struggle to establish myself for nearly 3-4 months, I saw myself getting sustained with good feedbacks from my service venture. With a continuous support from my well-wishers and my friends in the travel industry, Aditya Travels grew from an initial fleet of 2 buses to a reliable fleet of 26 buses, followed by positive revenue growth and good passenger flow on our daily bus schedules.”
Narrating his entrepreneurial journey, he added: “I am an MBA graduate from Andhra Pradesh. Buses were my childhood passion, which turned into a profession at a later stage in my life. With good financial support and proper planning, I have been able to make Aditya Travels sustain and grow during these years with optimism and goodwill of the investors.”
Strategic web route expansion
With its growing fleet strength, Aditya Travels expanded its route operations steadily and connected Bengaluru with Hyderabad, Chennai, Panjim (Goa), and Belagavi. On the Telangana operations corridor, Aditya started operating on the Hyderabad – Vizag, Hyderabad – Mumbai and Hyderabad – Shirdi routes. It also recently started a strategic Vijayawada – Mumbai route (1,000 km one way) connecting the East Coast of India to the West Coast. With the inclusion of modern luxury coaches like Volvo B9R multiaxles, Scania Metrolink multiaxles, AC and non-AC sleepers, Aditya Travels has a good sizeable bus fleet to cater to its passenger schedules on all its routes.
Briefing on some new developments on the operation front, he said: “Our entire bus fleet is now GPS monitored. We have been stressing on punctuality with respect to departure and arrival timings, keeping in mind the passenger needs and requirements. We also provide a complimentary snack box and mineral water bottle to all passengers on board. We also attach special importance to proper crew behaviour, and we are happy about the positive reviews on the ‘RedBus’ platform. We are also looking into the aspect of early morning arrivals before 7 a.m. at most of our destinations for the convenience of ‘office-goers’.”
Briefing about Aditya Travels’ maintenance infrastructure, Mr. Sai said: “We have both our own mechanics and outsourced mechanics taking care of our vehicles. Our laundry cleaning is outsourced. Our premium vehicles undergo regular servicing and maintenance at their respective service centres. Our Volvo multiaxle coaches are serviced at ‘Harsha Volvo Hyderabad’, while our Scania multiaxles are serviced at ‘Scania India’ Narasapura, Bengaluru.”
On future bus fleet expansion plans, he said that the fleet operator is planning for more Ashok Leyland coaches to be inducted in future. Aditya also plans to operate MG Automotive-built ‘MAN Mammoth’ coaches because of the vehicles’ appealing aesthetic looks and sturdy build.
Referring to future route expansion plans and new route proposals, Mr. Sai said that the company has decided on adding new routes based on factors such as passenger traffic, viability of the proposed routes, route survey and the market feedback. The need for proper driver and crew instructions is necessary to operate fleet services profitably.
The MD added: “We hold regular meetings with the bus crews to make them aware of the safety precautions to be followed. We also instruct our drivers to follow safe speed limits and maintain good and proper behaviour with the passengers. We are selective of the hotels for food and bio-breaks. Cleanliness and hygienic conditions of hotels are our primary concern, and we do keep in mind that our passengers get access to clean and hygienic facilities in the hotels that we stop en route for a break.”
When asked about attending to passenger queries and complaints, Mr. Rajesh Reddy Chandra, Manager, Aditya Travels, said: “We have a special team of 2 men who attend to passenger queries and complaints. All information pertaining to the passenger pick-up and drop is provided by the team. We are also planning a special ‘Customer Service Cell’ for our fleet operations.”
Expressing his views about the role of bus fleet operators in the development of tourism, the MD positively indicated that, with the improvement in inter-city connectivity due to good highways and bus web routes emanating from all major cities to destinations covering important metro cities and strategic tourist destinations, the tourism sector has seen a gradual increase in passenger flow in recent times.
He expressed his views regarding the role of online bus booking portals and bus mobile apps, wherein the tourist now gets on-hand feasible solutions for booking his bus tickets and planning his future journeys according to his convenience.
With many fleet operators going for tourist group packages and pilgrimage tours of holy sites, the bus fleet operator business has witnessed a big boost in the passenger flow, especially during the holiday and festival seasons, leading to good revenue generation and thus increasing the profit margins.
Speaking on Smart Mobility, he added: “This is the era of integrated transport solutions wherein we look how different modes of transport can bring integrated travelling solutions to the customer. I am looking forward to the bus fleet operator industry working towards integrated solutions of transportation in future to help the transport industry in India grow in a sustainable way, keeping in mind passenger services on a priority basis.”
Determination amidst challenges
Terming regular passenger flow, prompt service, punctual timings and good crew behaviour as the USPs of Aditya Travels, the MD observed: “In order to beat the fierce competition in bus fleet operations, we at Aditya are trying our best to provide optimum services to our esteemed passengers. We have also enabled GPS tracking for passengers, so that they can track their bus for pick-up and drop convenience. In future, I predict a surge in the role of technology and IT-enabled service in bus fleet operations. This will revolutionize the way we operate the business and the way passengers will travel with technology on buses and coaches.”
Citing the challenges in the bus industry and the bus fleet operator sector, he spoke of the improper Government taxation policy and lack of a common platform as a drawback and hindrance to the development and improvement of the private bus fleet operator business in the country.
Concluding on an optimistic note, Mr. Vijaya Sai said: “We in Aditya Travels have been committed to provide comfort and punctuality-based services as our motto. We look forward to serving people in a better way, and our team is dedicated and devoted to the same approach since our inception. In the days to come, we look forward to expand further in terms of service and revenue growth, with sustainable passenger services as our prime priority.”
ADITYA TRAVELS STATS
- Formed in 2013
- Number of buses in fleet : 26
- Longest route operated at present : Hyderabad to Mumbai (706 kms)
- Distance covered everyday : 17,500 kms
- Passengers carried daily : 1200
- Schedules per day : 26
- Workforce : 100
- Online Booking Portal : www.adityabus.in