ABT to re-enter passenger service from Oct

Chennai, Sep 22 (UNI) The Annamalais Bus Transport Limited (ABT), a passenger transport company, launched in 1931 but ceased to exist after the nationalisation in 1972, today announced its re-entry into the passenger service, by operating bus service in the Chennai-Coimbatore sector from next month.

Announcing this at a press conference here, Mr M Manickam, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Sakthi Sugars, a group company of ABT, said the bus service was being re-launched to mark ABT's entry into the 76th year.

To begin with, the company would launch the service next month with a fleet of four hi-tech luxury buses and operate in the Coimbatore-Chennai and Pollachi-Chennai routes and chalked out plans to add four buses every month, he said.

By the year 2010, "ABT X Travels" would acquire 200 Volvo buses from Ashok Leyland and Tata, involving a total investment of about Rs 80 crore, Mr Manickam said.

"We propose to provide a very comfortable and safe travel through air-conditioned hi-tech luxury buses at a competitive fare," he said. After connecting important cities in the state, the company would launch inter-state bus service, he added.

ABT also proposed to develop package tourism, connecting all important temple cities in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states offering an end to end service. The company, which was successfully running parcel service with a fleet of about 500 trucks would leverage on its branches and agents to provide high quality service in the passenger segment, he said.

The late P Nachimuthu Gounder founded the ABT and launched the transport service in 1931 with a fleet of 14 buses. Soon it operated bus service in 110 routes with a fleet of 150 buses around the Coimbatore region. In 1972, the state government nationalised the buses.

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