If you are a frequent inter-city or intra-state bus traveler chances are you must have noticed the Patel logo in red, adjacent to three neatly branded blue strips on a white background, atop many sleeper coaches plying on the national highways. The branding is a standard feature on all buses of Patel Tours and Travels (PTT), (a division of Patel Inn and Travels Pvt. Ltd). Ten minutes into the conversation with Mr. Gaurang Khetani, Director, PTT, we realize that neat and clear embodies not only the design of Patel’s buses but they are also a part of the firm’s thought process, daily activities and business decisions.
The formative force behind such clarity has been nourished into the system by the company’s founder Mr. Meghjibhai Khetani. “My father has always believed and practiced that clarity in communication is the key to establish trust and relationship. We feel it is more so in today’s times and hence all our buses are branded with the red logo of ‘Patel’ above three blue stipes with a white background on both the sides. Not only does this generate familiarity, it also helps clients understand that they are traveling with the authentic Patel Tours and Travels that was founded by my father in 1978,” explains Mr. Gaurang Khetani.
Headquarterd in Makarba, Ahmedabad, PTT is one of the leading bus tour operators in Gujarat. It operates daily services to the linking cities like Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Baroda (Vadodara), Bhuj, Jamnagar, Gandhidham, Mumbai and Pune. PTT does so by pressing into service top-end buses from the stables of all the leading OEMs. Mr. Khetani shares: “We have a total of 230 buses from Scania, BharatBenz, Volvo, Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors and Eicher. Out of the 230, approximately 130 are sleeper buses on Scania and Volvo chassis. The remaining 100 are used for staff transportation predominately on BharatBenz, Ashok Leyland, Eicher and Tata Motors chassis in 2×2 and 3×2 configuration.”
While the sleeper buses ply mostly from Ahmedabad to Dwarka, Baroda, Somnath, Rajkot Jamnagar, Mundra, Vapi, Surat, Nashik, Shirdi, the staff transportation is done across Gujarat. “Considering that majority of our travelers are either pilgrimage visitors and passengers traveling between cities for work, we have focused on quality building of buses to offer comfort and convenient for all age groups. For the same, we get good tailor-made support from bodybuilders like Tejal Coach, Surendra Bus Body Builders and MG Group who are well-known for their supreme bus body designs. We are aware that it is the demand from customers for safe, reliable and comfortable buses that keeps us afloat in this competitive business,” he reveals.
Attracting passengers
Considering the wide age group of its passenger profile, PTT undertakes ticketing operations through its 28 branches as well as through its own website and aggregators. “We have our branches in all the major cities and routes that we ply on. We do not shy away from listing ourselves on popular aggregators like redbus and Makemytrip to attract customers. However, to facilitate direct booking without an aggregator, we have an easy-to-use website and an app on iOS and android that facilitates ticket booking. This saves on the commission that we have to pay to the aggregators,” informs the Director.
The company also displays its prudence by providing live link to each passenger to keep them informed of the real-time location of the buses. Additionally, the customer has a window of cancelling a booking up to 30 minutes before the departure time in case of an unplanned emergency. “Customer’s comfort is key for us, hence in this technology-driven times, all our buses are equipped with GPRS and CCTV cameras. In fact, we also have a cross booking system in place since 2014, where customers can travel in two different buses using one ticket and one PNR. For instance, if a person from Mumbai wants to travel to Bhuj and if we have a bus till Ahmedabad, the onward journey to Bhuj can be completed from a different bus from Ahmedabad”, he beams.
Extending its spirited service towards customers welfare, PTT is building an 80-bed capacity dormitory close to its hub at Makarba. Mr. Khetani says: “We have been toiling upon this idea for a long time and finally decided to utilize the premises here at our head office and make an 80-bed dormitory at a reasonable rate and restaurant that will provide bed, breakfast and basic facilities to ease passengers’ travel experience. We also have a double basement parking so that if the guest comes by a bike or car, they can park it and continue their onward to & fro journey.”
The tour operator’s commitment to customer satisfaction seems to be unwavering and goes beyond basics. “Since the last 40 years, we have followed a principal that even if a bus is not filled to capacity, the trip will not be cancelled or postponed. We are committed to proceed with our journey even if the bus is 50 per cent occupied,” claims Mr. Khetani. The pay-off of this ethical philosophy is that the operator often gets assured business from repeat customers.
Self-reliant maintenance
One of the important aspects of a successful transport business is maintaining fleets. PTT gives top priority on maintenance of its bus fleet; a maintenance team is spread across four yards including the hub comprising of four important aggregates, washing, tyre maintenance and servicing. “A thorough check-up on all technical aspects and component fittings is conducted by our yard managers. Our technicians perform routine maintenance as laid down by the bus manufacturers for optimum performance. With bus safety and passenger safety on priority, we are committed to provide well maintained buses for our services,” he shares.
PTT’s self-reliance is not merely restricted to maintenance, it extends to driver training, monitoring vehicle and driving behavior on route as well as tie-ups with fuel stations. The Director explains: “We conduct driver training sessions annually and also offer incentives to drivers, based on the mileage they are able to provide in a stipulated fuel capacity. We also focus on maintaining polite behavior with passengers and follow good etiquettes on-board and during travelling with respect to pick-up and drop of passengers. We keep a track of our drivers, regarding passenger suggestions en route, which gives us insights into real-time issues and probabilities on improving and making our fleet services better for convenience of the passengers.”
PTT’s future growth is likely to come from expansion, believes Mr. Khetani. “Our target is to grow even more on the Gujarat routes, into more interior parts with punctuality, safety and comfort being our prime USPs. The growth of the hospitality industry and our subsequent investments in restaurant and dormitory space will help us expand our customer base and further strengthen our presence in the passenger travel sector,” he signs off.