High Rent and Low Seating Capacity Leave AMTS Wedding Bus Service Flop: Ahmedabad Civic Body Prepares Major Fare Cuts
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High Rent and Low Seating Capacity Leave AMTS Wedding Bus Service Flop: Ahmedabad Civic Body Prepares Major Fare Cuts
The Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) is overhauling its wedding charter operations after inflated rental tariffs, restrictive passenger capacities, and tedious booking procedures led to a sharp drop in public patronage.
Despite making public transport buses available for private hire during the wedding season, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) registered barely 70 bookings across the entire city over the past year. Private luxury operators, offering lower rates and higher passenger capacity, have swiftly captured the market share.
Private Sector Outpaces Civic Fleet
The stark price differential between municipal vehicles and private luxury coaches has forced local residents to bypass civic transport options.
- Heavy Price Gap: Renting an AMTS bus costs ₹8,000 for a round trip (₹4,000 each way), whereas private luxury operators charge around ₹5,000 for equivalent services.
- Seating Constraints: An AMTS bus accommodates roughly 30 passengers, compared to private buses that seat nearly 50 people.
- Procedural Bottlenecks: Cumbersome paperwork and rigid booking requirements at municipal offices further deter prospective hirers.
Standing Committee Takes Up Policy Revamp
The issue of dwindling booking numbers featured prominently during Thursday's AMC Standing Committee meeting. Members acknowledged that the existing policy remains commercially unviable and misaligned with ground realities.
To revive the service, the transport committee is restructuring its tariff matrix. Reliable sources confirmed plans to execute substantial fare cuts and streamline the reservation process to make municipal buses competitive against private fleet operators.
