A long and winding road: R Mohan

The job of providing public transport to the 1.4 billion-strong population of India is, to put it mildly, a challenging one. Thankfully for any prospective transportation management aspirants, the task has been split across various state-owned corporations across the country.

In the state of Tamil Nadu, no less than eight transport corporations are up to the challenge. The one tasked with taking passengers on long-distance (300 kilometers-plus) mofussil journeys is the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC). Its fleet of deluxe, classic and sleeper buses prioritize comfortable, well-organized trips to around 68,000 passengers daily.

In charge of fulfilling Tamil Nadu’s destination aspirations is R Mohan, its Managing Director and a veteran of India’s state transport corporations. Before him are a host of hurdles including shifting terminals, private operators and traffic congestion, but SETC isn’t alone in its battle.

"The government made an effort to reduce public traffic, and that meant we had to shift our terminus," Mohan tells The CEO Magazine.

Originally, the main SETC terminus was located in Chennai. Its move to Coimbatore took place for two reasons: the traffic reduction initiative and the further development of Chennai. The shift was done as smoothly as possible so as not to disrupt operations for passengers, but Mohan says old habits have been hard to break.

"The new terminus, Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus, is 32 kilometers away from the original, Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT)," Mohan explains. "We’ve noticed a drop in occupancy as a result, because people who were used to going to the CMBT have continued to do so."

Despite a 9.7 percent drop in passenger numbers between 2023 and 2024, Mohan says he’s confident that SETC will continue.

"Our operations come at the very lowest cost compared with other states in India," he says.

Customer satisfaction

Although SETC’s pricing is fixed by the government, its operational costs are variable, and it’s here where Mohan and his team work hard to keep them down.

"We pass these savings on to our passengers," he adds. "The drop in numbers has been difficult, so to overcome this we’ve taken certain measures to build SETC’s resilience."

The first was the development of Namma Payani, a singular dashboard designed to track SETC’s fleet of vehicles and its conductors. From maintenance to timing, Namma Payani logs the gamut of operations.

"Since introducing the dashboard in May 2024, we’ve noticed our occupancy ratio has improved," Mohan reveals.

The success of the platform led to the inclusion of further features based on customer satisfaction survey results.

"We collect this feedback and I review it daily," he says.

The feedback covers eight areas: dispatch time, scheduling, cleanliness and condition, conductor and driver behavior, ease of reservations and the quality of motels the buses stop at en route.

"We believe that if we can address a passenger’s concerns, SETC has won their loyalty," Mohan explains."So we are tireless in improving our patronage by this method."

The SETC fleet itself has also seen improvements and upgrades. All are Leyland buses running on IndianOil fuel.

"We have a very good relationship with our vendors and suppliers that keep our fleet running," Mohan says. "And we pay them automatically; we never default and no supplier ever needs to come to our office."

Passenger comfort

Going forward, Mohan says monocoque structures and full air suspension are being considered to improve passenger comfort.

"We also encourage reservations through lucky draws and giveaways," he says. "Every month, we’ll select 20 passengers to offer attractive discounts and prices."

The tracking of occupancy levels by Namma Payani has helped SETC’s operational flexibility.

"If we notice less occupancy in certain areas, we’ll reduce services there," he says.

"We might take two buses away from one area where occupancy is less, and redirect them to another area where occupancy is greater, thereby increasing company profitability. It’s a regular process."

The fluidity of SETC’s operations means that whenever a large-scale event is held, the company can offer a special fleet of ultra-deluxe air-conditioned buses.

The company also provides vehicles to the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation whenever temple pilgrimages call for them.

"It’s good revenue," Mohan adds.

A sustainable future

The transportation industry has, in recent years, also grappled with the issue of sustainability. Many have responded with electric vehicles where possible. SETC has introduced four compressed natural gas engine vehicles on a trial basis.

"The cost versus diesel is a reduction. Electric isn’t an option for us yet due to the long distances we travel, so charging is a problem," Mohan points out.

The COVID-19 pandemic threw the industry into a brief yet significant chaos from which it has largely emerged, but Mohan says the affair highlighted the need to fight.

"We have to survive and for that, reducing the cost of operations is crucial," he confirms.

Any success that comes as a result is only part of Mohan’s vision of victory.

"If we make a prediction and then achieve it, that’s success. If we recognize the employees who do good things for the company, that’s also success," he notes.

"We make a point of recognizing and encouraging the highest collection, highest earning per kilometer and the highest occupancy. We honor those staff who can achieve such targets and we do so regularly. After all, every target and goal is breakable."

For Mohan, the transport industry is one without end. Success is something to celebrate along the way; it’s not an end goal because those cannot exist.

"Everything is a figure only. We can cross waypoints and meet goals, but the journey continues," he reflects. "I’ve always appreciated that about this industry and for me, to keep going is a success."