The Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC), known as the largest State transport undertaking in North-East India, has upgraded its fleet with new Euro-IV Volvo coaches. We spoke to Mr. Amalendu Ghosh, Chief Engineer, ASTC, at the Corporation’s headquarters at Paltanbazar, Guwahati (Assam), to know more about the Corporation’s strategy and future ventures with the new intake of the premium Volvo buses.
Speaking to MOTORINDIA, Mr. Ghosh said: “Our recent intake and fleet upgradation with the premium Volvo B8R biaxle and Volvo B11R multiaxle coaches relies on our commitment to provide luxury and comfort ride to the travelling passenger in the region. The premium services have been planned on the Corporation’s PPP (Public Private Partnership) Model, with Dadhwal Transports. The new venture will help in growth of business and revenue for the Corporation. We forecast the intake as a milestone, since these are the first premium multiaxle coaches to hit the roads in North-East India.”
Expressing his views, Mr. Ghosh said that ASTC already has a sizeable fleet of 22 Volvo 8400 low-entry coaches under the JnNURM – II Scheme for city use, and with further addition of the new Volvo Intercity coaches, there will be a substantial increase in employment generation on behalf of the Corporation, because of the requirement of skilled trained technicians and maintenance staff. “I am hopeful that Volvo India will open a dedicated Volvo Service Centre here in Guwahati soon, for the convenience of the Volvo buses running in Assam. We, as a STU, do have a Volvo Service hub at our ASTC Rupnagar depot, catering to the needs and maintenance of our existing Volvo bus fleet, with trained workers stationed at the hub.”
Connecting States
A total of 15 Euro IV Volvo coaches consisting of both Volvo B8R and B11R I-Shift coaches are scheduled to join the ASTC fleet in the first phase, which will have features like CCTV for security, public addressing systems for passenger convenience and semi-sleeper seats with calf support for travelling luxury and comfort. The Corporation also plans to provide onboard amenities on the coach like mineral water bottles and blankets for passengers. ASTC is also planning for the provision of chemical toilet on its coaches for use by passengers. The initial phase route plans are to connect on long-distance routes with Volvo B11R multiaxle coaches which will include routes like Guwahati – Kolkata (986 km one way) and Guwahati – Patna – Lucknow (approximately 1336 km one way). ASTC plans to connect Intra-State routes within Assam with the 12 mtr Volvo B8R Biaxle coaches and to connect Guwahati with Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh with B8R coaches in the near future. ASTC also plans for a better fare structure for the premium coaches in the coming days.
Retrieving the sustainable transport blueprint of ASTC, Mr. Ghosh said: “All the STUs in the North-Eastern region face common problems. I feel there is a lack of a common platform or forum to discuss our common problems and plan common solutions to the deficiencies affecting us. A future planned step towards bringing all STCs under the same umbrella will help us to ensure implementation of effective solutions for the development of the bus transportation in the region. With Guwahati, as the prime nodal place, a business hub and an educational hub in North-East India, bus transport can play an important role in communication for the people especially the business community and the student’s community as a medium for development and progress of the region. I also foresee a great opportunity for the educational institutes in the region to get benefited by ASTC’s steps for fleet development. Students pursuing courses in automobile engineering or the related fields can ensure their training prospects at our Corporation, studying about world class technical engineering aspects of these premium coaches to broaden their knowledge in a practical approach.”
The Volvo factor
On being asked about the criteria of selecting Volvo as a brand option for the fleet upgrade, Mr. Ghosh replied: “ASTC has already had a good experience with Volvo buses with its first intake late back in 2004-2005 with Volvo B7R Mark 1 coaches on a PPP model, with Preronaa Transports, Assam. We branded the coaches as ‘Dream-Machines’, with Volvo Buses, a trusted product and an international brand, operational in India for the last 16 years since 2001. With our providing good and dedicated service, we at ASTC have gone ahead with our second fleet upgrade in 2017 with Volvo, in order to provide the travelling passenger a better and safer mode of ‘Luxury On Wheels’. As regards to future fleet expansion, we are expanding our bus fleet in a phased manner with successive consignments of new buses which will join the ASTC fleet subsequently in due course of time.”
According to ASTC sources, the introduction of the premium Volvo buses will uplift the way people travel on buses in Assam and the North-East. Bus fleet operations in the region lag behind due to improper infrastructure and bad roads with the inevitable natural disasters and calamities affecting surface transport.
With the Government’s policies and NHAI’s steps to improve road conditions and initiatives of building multilane highways Pan North-East, bus fleet services in the region have a better future, supported by the introduction of the premium segment buses and coaches.
On an optimistic note, Mr. Ghosh remarked: “As a Corporation, ASTC has a duty to serve the public, keeping in mind the socio-economic conditions of the region. We connect the remotest rural areas through our bus services, with a sense of responsibility. We have upgraded our bus fleet with luxury coaches suiting the public needs, and with the PPP model in place, we have reached a better domain of the passenger segment, on the operation front. In the coming days, we look forward to implementation of sustainable transport through our bus fleet services, keeping in mind our initiatives for the development of Assam and North-East India.”