Jabbar Travels – Success built on holistic and solution-based approach

Jabbar Travels is a pioneer in inter-city bus fleet operations with more than six decades of committed passenger services. MOTORINDIA spoke to Mr. Shakeel Jabbar, Managing Director, Jabbar Travels, at its head office located at Kalasipalyam, Bengaluru, to gather details of the company working and its future plans.

Mr. Shakeel Jabbar, Managing Director, Jabbar Travels

Recalling his memories of the grand history of Jabbar’s foundation, Mr. Shakeel said: “Jabbar Travels was founded by my grandfather, Mr. C. Abdul Azeez, in 1952. He started with a stage carriage permit and plied buses between Bengaluru to Chintamani (Kollar) and Bengaluru to Chittur, as the initial services. In 1978, the business was handed over to my father, Mr. C. Abdul Jabbar, who started the first night service schedule of Jabbar Travels between Bengaluru and Hyderabad, along with the new routes like Hyderabad – Mumbai and Bengaluru – Chennai, as a follow through. He also connected Bengaluru – Trichur, our first service to Kerala. Carrying on our business, and legacy of Jabbar Travels, I took over from my father as the Managing Director of the company in 1995, and now I am controlling the operations of the company.”

The idea for Jabbar Travels has stemmed from the need for simple travel solutions. Buses are the most commonly used means of travelling in India, be it within a city or on an inter-city route. In fact, buses are sometimes the only form of transportation available to reach the remotest parts of India. “Jabbar Travels aims to reach the common man with its passenger services through its fleet operations and aims to provide uninterrupted and streamline bus service to its customers, benefitting them to reach their destinations safely with luxurious and comfortable travelling experience,” he added.

Dedicated fleet service

With a glorious history of more than 60 years, Jabbar Travels is known for its fleet and passenger services in the bus fleet operator industry. It expanded its fleet operations with modern luxury coaches like Volvo multiaxles, Scania Multiaxles, AC and Non AC Sleeper coaches. Currently Jabbar buses ply on around 45 schedules each day and connects major cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, etc., with its luxury high end coaches.

Speaking about the fleet operations, Mr. Shakeel added: “I have a good support of my younger brother, Mr. Jameel Jabbar, in my business and the fleet operations. There is a great demand of good passenger services in the bus fleet operator business, and on priority, we are focussing particularly on passenger safety, and also more prominently on the safety and security of the lady passenger, on board our coaches. As regards to the new developments on the operation front, we have started our mobile app booking, for enhancing our passenger ticketing service on the move. We do have a gps monitored fleet, which gives us a real time tracking of our bus fleet on their routes of operation.”

Jabbar Travels has its own maintenance infrastructure at TR-Mill parking, Bengaluru, wherein it has incorporated in-house facilities like bus-washing / cleaning, tyre-changing, etc. It has an outsourced contract for the laundry services which includes bus bed sheet and pillow cover washing for its sleeper coaches along with bus curtain washing for all its buses. Its maintenance team constitutes of around ten members, who take responsibility for the vehicle upkeep and maintenance operations. The premium Volvo and Scania buses are often sent to the company for regular servicing. As a new development, Jabbar Travels is now on service contract agreement with Volvo Buses India from August 2017.

Future strategy

With regard to future fleet expansion, Mr. Shakeel observed: “Keeping in view the passenger flow and demand on our routes, we are soon procuring two 14.5 mtr Scania Metrolink multiaxle coaches for the Bengaluru – Chennai route and two 14.5 mtr Volvo B11R I-Shift multiaxle coaches for the Bengaluru – Mumbai route. There is a demand for sleeper coaches on our routes and we are looking forward to cater to the requirement, on priority, for luxury and travelling comfort of our passengers. We are also considering long route inclusion to our bus fleet schedules soon, connecting Bengaluru to Ahmedabad and Hyderabad to Ernakulam.”

Asked about considerations, while planning a new route, Mr. Shakeel replied: “There are certain factors based on which we examine the viability of a proposed route. Our decision relies on the passenger load factor and the demand for the route, basically. We generally stick to our basic routes of connecting strategic cities, viz., Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai. We are focussing on improving the intercity connectivity on our existing routes with more schedules for the convenience of the travelling passenger.”

Importance of bus crew training

Bus crew interactions and importance for driver training forms an integral part of the Jabbar Travels fleet services. The company gives priority to bus crew interactions and holds monthly general overviews and direct crew-talk, regarding vehicle upkeep and fleet operation services. Crew driving premium Volvo and Scania coaches are sent for the industry refresher courses.

Jabbar usually instructs its crew in respect of vehicle maintenance, safe-speed driving, maintenance of clean bus interiors, vehicle upkeep, politeness with passengers, safety of the onboard lady passenger, and priority of stopping at clean and hygienic veg. hotels for food and bio-breaks enroute. It has dedicated passenger helpline numbers for service enquiries and also does a regular follow up regarding feedbacks and suggestions for its fleet and online booking services from aggregators like ‘RedBus’ and ‘Bitla-Software’, in order to maintain and improve its bus services.

Terming the public trust factor, regular vehicle upkeep, regular inclusion of new modern luxury coaches, low average life bus fleet maintenance, and co-operative staff as the USPs of the company, Mr. Shakeel said: “The bus fleet industry in Bengaluru is growing at a good pace with operator’s opting for new luxury coaches and expanding routes to new destinations and introducing web-routes from Bengaluru and other metros like Hyderabad and Chennai. But we do have some major challenges, which brings a stagnation in the growth of the fleet operator business, in general. Issues like the improper taxation policy, lack of common platform for operators, rate rationalisation and shortage of quality drivers affects the fleet operator primarily. With the formation of BOCI (Bus Operators Confederation of India), I am quite hopeful that we will be able to arrive at long term sustainable solutions to the challenges and problems, which have affected the growth and development in the sector. I am happy to let you know that, I have also been appointed as the Vice Chairman for point to point operations in Karnataka in the BOCI Council. I believe apart from providing a common platform for all fleet operators in solving the current issues, BOCI will also be able to provide a better B2B stage for future business and revenue growth in the industry.”

Prominence to passenger and technology

Pointing out that the passenger and technology are playing an important role in the fleet operator business, Mr. Shakeel observed: “We have been following the passenger feedbacks and suggestions with priority. I feel technology does play an important role in each and every field in our life today. Bus fleet operator business too have undergone a major overhaul with the evolution and popularity of online booking, followed by the introduction of Mobile App ticketing. As a bus fleet operator, I feel that, now a passenger has a more direct access to know about our services and hence he / she can give a feedback, a suggestion and even the passenger can rate us online, based on his / her experience of our services. As told earlier, we follow the passenger in order to understand the mindset regarding feedback on our bus services. With a future of Smart Ticketing and use of core IT enabled services on the horizon, we can predict our bus fleet industry going to the next era of development on the operation front.”

Mr. Shakeel expressed optimism about future prospects. He said: “Keeping view of the latest developments in the bus fleet operator business in terms of foundation of BOCI, I feel we have a better representation to put forward our demands in front of the government especially on the taxation issue, and arrive at permanent and sustainable solutions to the problems and challenges on consensus, which will make all bus fleet operators grow in the industry in terms of business and better revenue. Jabbar Travels forecasts its venture and journey in the bus fleet operator business with a positive and optimistic outlook and looks forward to an overall development in the industry”.

JABBAR TRAVELS STATS