KOCHI: The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) courier service has included 39 items in its prohibited list, including common electronics like mobile phones and laptops, following the recent outsourcing of its operations to an Andhra Pradesh-based company named Singhu Solutions.
While customers criticize the ban on such items as illogical, KSRTC officials justify the changes as part of heightened safety measures and efforts to prevent fraudulent practices. A senior official explained that the changes are being incorporated as part of a new software introduced to manage courier operations, based on the requirements of the outsourcing company.
(Singhu Solutions also runs the highly profitable courier service of APSRTC, which records an annual turnover of Rs 200 crore.)
The KSRTC courier service, which was fully managed by the state entity until a couple of months ago, had proven highly profitable by promising delivery anywhere in Kerala within 16 hours.
Raghunandan R, a techie, complained that the ban on laptops and mobile phones lacks logic, noting that many, especially those working in IT hubs like Infopark, depended on the fast service to retrieve such essential items often left behind.
Under the new system, customers are now mandated to provide details like the item’s value and sign documents at the counter. Recipients must also produce proper identity cards, with an option for staff to photograph them to prevent fraud.
The official clarified that the specific ban on mobile phones was introduced after reports surfaced that the service was being used to ship imported items, like iPhones from Dubai, to evade GST. The corporation said it would take up the matter with the AP-based company if formal complaints are received regarding the ban on items like laptops.
KSRTC Eyes Revenue Rebound
Sources indicate that revenue from the courier service has seen an initial fall since the handover, but KSRTC authorities are confident of a rebound within three to six months, attributing the current decline to the company’s inexperience in the region.
The corporation is aiming for a three-fold increase in overall revenue from the parcel and courier venture by entrusting the operations to the private partner. The service currently generates an average monthly revenue of Rs 50 lakh, with the Vyttila Mobility Hub counter being the top performer at Rs 30 lakh per month.
KSRTC pays a commission of 19.85% to Singhu Solutions, who in turn remit the entire revenue to the corporation. The previous expense on staff salaries and operations, which consumed 35-40% of the revenue, is now borne by the new company. The contractor faces penalties for accountability: Rs 50 for misdirected parcels and Rs 500 plus the item’s shipment value for damaged or missing parcels.
As part of efficiency and revenue plans, Singhu Solutions is set to introduce pick-up and door-delivery services (initially within a 10-km radius of collection centres). KSRTC, which currently has 46 dedicated parcel counters in Kerala and one outstation centre in Coimbatore, also plans to expand the service by starting counters in Karnataka.
With input from TNIE
For more details: Navamalayalam.com
