TradeBytes

Raj Travels to ramp up National Express fleet to 100

ETW Staff

Raj Travels plans to ramp up its fleet of luxury buses belonging to its surface transport brand, Raj National Express, to 50 by January. The objective, according to Raj Travels CMD Lalit Seth, is to add to the fleet every month, which will eventually number a 100. According to Seth, "We want to serve at least about two million plus pasengers in one year. We will be starting with the Western India route and in the second and third stage, take the buses to South and North India, respectively. We are looking at about 16 Volvos by end of November, which will see an addition of about 20 more by December. By end of January, we plan to have a fleet of 50 buses."

The company had recently rolled out its National Express bus service on the lines of Greyhound, the US bus service, to take long distance road travel to a new dimension. The service, which covers the Mumbai-Gujarat routes, features online e-ticketing, special check-in lounges where passengers can check in their baggage and await departure, and specially designed Volvo buses designed on the lines of airplane interiors.

With an initial investment of over Rs 50 crore, Raj National Express covers Mumbai-Vapi, Surat, Ahmedabad and Baroda. According to Seth, the company plans to commence full-fledged services in Maharashtra by December 15.

Commenting on the new initiative, Seth said, "There was heavy demand for sectors like Surat, Ahmedabad, Goa, Pune, etc. but buses currently available were uncomfortable for long trips.” The pricing Seth said, would be on par with three-tier airconditoned railway fares. Additionally, the coaches will also be equipped with satellite assisted global positioning system, which will enable the company to track it and ensure it arrives at its destination on time.