APSRTC launches door-to-door cargo services

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRC) which launched the parcel and courier services in 2017, has now launched door-to-door delivery services for the convenience of consumers.

The APSRTC has entered into an agreement with logistics company Shipmantra to pick up and deliver goods/parcels from the consumers.

So far, trial run was conducted by the cargo services between the two cities and consumers can avail the services from March 22, the festival of Ugadi.

Initially the door-to-door cargo services will be launched between Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam and later they will be extended to other cities in Andhra Pradesh and other cities like Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

Transport Minister PinipeViswarup on Monday launched the door-to-door cargo services at the RTC House in Vijayawada. Later, addressing the media, Transport Minister Viswarup said the APSRTC cargo services till now earned revenue of Rs163 crore this financial year. He said when the RTC has taken over the cargo services from ANL parcel service the revenue was only Rs nine crore.

He said the RTC cargo services evoked huge response from the people and now the RTC has set the target of reaching Rs500crore in the next few years.

He hoped the pickup and delivery services launched from March 22 will receive good response from the people because the RTC cargo services are charging lesser amount compared to other private cargo and courier services.

He said the consumers can book their parcels from online website and the shipmantra.com and the staff will collect the goods from the given address.

He said the parcels will be delivered as early as possible after reaching the destination. Initially, parcels weighing less than 50 kg will be booked and delivered on payment of charges.

When asked about the possibility of transporting ganja and other harmful materials in the cargoservices, he said the RTC will take Aadhaar card number and the mobile phone numbers of the persons, who booked the parcels.

He said necessary steps will be taken to check the parcels and collect the proofs from the consumers.

APSRTC Managing Director Dwaraka Tirumala Rao said the APSRTC losses were gradually coming down after the Cargo services were launched in 2017.He said the consumers can log onto apsrtc.gov.in, shipmantra.com and other RTC websites to book the parcels. He said the APSRTC logistics income was growing gradually and the RTC was extending cargo services to the consumers. He said the consumers can log onto the websites to book parcels from the wee hours of March 22, 2023.