RTC to operate 100 more long distance buses

The APSRTC would operate 100 additional buses soon to give a reprieve to passengers, who are facing shortage of buses in the wake of crackdown on private bus operators.

The state government has instructed the RTC to operate 100 more buses on long distance routes in the state and also to neighbouring states.

Among the 100 buses to hit the roads shortly, 20 buses each would be operated to Bangalore and Mumbai, 10 buses to Nagpur, 25 buses to Vijayawada and another 25 to coastal Andhra districts. The government has also instructed the RTC to conduct route survey and operate buses on those routes wherever there is a demand.

Meanwhile for the sixth day on Saturday the  transport department officials continued their raids on private bus operators and school buses for plying by violating rules.

As many as 10 contract carriage buses and 99 school buses were seized in Krishna, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari and Srikakulam districts on Saturday.

The officials have so far seized 312 school buses and 201 private buses across the state. The vehicles plying without fitness certificates, permits and other necessary documents were seized.

Following the crackdown, several private operators have stopped plying buses. The operators alleged that the drive was badly affecting their business and causing hardship to people. They claim to be providing service to people as the state-owned RTC was not able to meet the demand.

With the cancellation and seizure of 600 private buses, the passengers who booked tickets in these buses earlier have been facing lot of inconvenience.T Rajender, a software engineer in Hyderabad, who booked his ticket in Kaleswari Travels for Bangalore blamed the government for not making alternative arrangements.

According to RTA officials there are over 28,000 schools buses across the state of which only 70 percent buses have fitness certificates.

The RTA kicked off the drive against errant private bus players in the wake of recent accident in Maharashtra in which 29 people from the state were killed en route to Shirdi.