The Assam state transport corporation (ASTC) is leasing out 60 non-operational and commercially unviable buses to promote alternative business models.

The state government-owned transport corporation has already leased out eight such buses for five years each against a security deposit and monthly rent or a one-time lease and yearly fees across Assam, including Guwahati, Kaziranga, Bokakhat and Tezpur.

The first such bus outlet, an air-conditioned restaurant Rhino Food Xpress, was inaugurated at the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) at Betkuchi in Guwahati by ASTC chairman Pallab Lochan Das.

The objective of this initiative is to repurpose non-operational buses for innovative business ventures such as food trucks, pharmacies, private chambers, saloons, beauty parlours and grocery shops.

ASTC chairman Pallab Lochan Das addresses the gathering at the inaugural function of the Rhino Food Xpress in Guwahati on Friday.

“We will lease out the buses to any Indian coming with a solid business proposal that is designed to foster entrepreneurship, create new income opportunities and generate additional revenue for the ASTC,” Chinmoy Prakash Phookan, ASTC MD, told The Telegraph.

“The buses have an area of 440 square feet. Renovating is more cost-effective than building a permanent structure. The buses are in running condition but are commercially unviable as they cannot do more than 1.5km per litre (diesel).”

“Our condition is that the business venture has to be static — any ASTC location or at the applicant’s place. It has to be static. We have received some interesting proposals,” he said.

The ASTC MD said that a doctor in Guwahati has applied for a bus to set up a path lab while a dhaba owner in Kaziranga has decided to rent three buses “to set up suites so that tourists get a feel of Kaziranga”. There is also a proposal for setting up a pharmacy at the ISBT which attracts a good footfall every day.