In a move that would help travellers work on their holiday plans well ahead of this year’s Deepavali, the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) has advanced its reservation period to 60 days from the earlier period of 30 days.
The move has proved to be a blessing in disguise particularly for those bound to the Southern districts during Deepavali in November.
With the advance reservation for the festival season that began on Monday, over 6,000 commuters have reserved their tickets to travel on November 9, so far.
Apparently, a similar number of people have booked tickets for their journey on the next day (November 10).
While 40 per cent of these tickets were booked online, the remaining 60 per cent was done at the reservation counters, sources in the State-owned Transport Corporation said.
“With Deepavali falling on November 13 (Tuesday), people employed in various sectors have planned their travel on different days. While government servants prefer to travel on Friday, those employed in the private sector schedule their travel plans for Saturday,” said an official source.
Besides, a section of commuters bound for Central districts including Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Tiruchirapalli are showing keen interest on booking tickets for Monday, a day before Deepavali.
Claiming that th e move has received appreciation from a cross-section of commuters, the official said, “The new system was introduced following appeals from passengers, including medical representatives. Moreover, senior citizens and differently-abled are largely benefited, as hassle-free ticket bookings are ensured.
The SETC operates about 450 buses from the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus at Koyambedu to different parts of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Tirupati.
“Also, we are planning to ply special buses numbering anywhere between 150 and 200 for last-minute travellers, a senior official said.
Comments
0 comment