Amaravati, Jul 31 (IANS): In a move aimed at meeting revenue target from its cargo service, the state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) has mandated its employees to ensure booking of three parcels or couriers by their relatives or friends every month.

The move however, has come under criticism from a section of employees, who feel that they are being pressurised to meet the target.

AAPSRTC higher-ups have directed all depots to ensure that every employee through his relatives or friends make three bookings with door delivery every month.

Under pressure to meet the target and unable to get the bookings through relatives and friends, the employees are reported to be sending festival, birthday or wedding anniversary greetings to their near and dear ones through courier service.

The APSRTC has a little over 50,000 employees and authorities estimate that if each of them ensure three bookings every month, this would result in 1.5 lakh bookings and thus boost the revenue of the corporation from cargo service.

However, a section of employees have found fault with the move. They say this amount to mounting pressure on them.

It was in 2017 that the APSRTC had taken over logistic service from ANL. The revenues from this vertical was Rs 122 crore in 2020-21 and for the current financial year the authorities have fixed a target of Rs 250 crore.

Initially, the cargo service was from one bus stand to another.

To expand the cargo service on par with private companies and overcome the losses it incurred during the Covid pandemic, the Corporation in September last year launched door delivery.

At present, the RTC is offering its service at 84 bus stations, delivering parcels/couriers of weight up to 50 kg. It charges extra for door-to-door delivery.

On an average, the Corporation is receiving 1,179 bookings a day. The authorities have set a target of daily 5,000 bookings.

They have also launched a month-long campaign to promote door delivery service.