To rake in more moolah,transport utility sets eyes on ad models in big cities

“Despite the fuel price hike,the PMPML has abstained from increasing the ticket rates though revenue through tickets is a limited revenue source. The PMPML has to rely on other sources of revenue like offering its resources to advertising firms. We have started identifying ways to generate more funds through advertising rights,” said Dilip Band,PMPML chairman and managing director.

“Advertisements on buses and at bus depots deface the buses and depots. Therefore,we will do away with the hitherto followed tender procedure and do it differently this time. We are looking at the audio-visual medium as well. Once the public announcement system — announcing the next bus stops — starts on buses,we could start using the same for advertising,” Band said.

The present advertising tender was valid for five years and the advertising rights had been given to an agency in Ahmednagar.

“The next tender will come into effect in September. We are looking at the advertising models on public transport buses in cities like Mumbai,Hyderabad and Chennai to identify the current trends in advertising,” said A S Bhokare,chief of the advertising department of PMPML.