State Transport Minister Sidda Raghava Rao on Monday promised to provide 1,500 new buses to augment the fleet strength of the State-owned APSRTC, making it a preferred mode of transport for the commuters.
Speaking after flagging off a super luxury service to Chennai from Kanigiri and a Palle Velugu service between Ongole and Guntur here, he said that as many 2,000 new buses were needed to replace all the existing old buses. “After getting Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s nod, 1,500 new buses will be purchased soon and more services would be introduced on various routes,” he said.
RTC staff laudedThe Minister lauded the RTC employees, right from the level of cleaner to that of executives, for contributing their one day’s pay for purchase of new buses. The employees had contributed around Rs. 4 crore with which each and every district had been provided with a new bus, he said.
Passenger-friendly planThe Minister further wanted the RTC staff to strive hard to materialise the 100-day passenger-friendly plan aiming at keeping buses and bus stations clean, besides improving passenger amenities. The plan also envisaged setting up of reverse osmosis plants at bus stations to ensure provision of safe drinking water to commuters, the Minister said.
Ongole MLA D. Janardhan Rao, Regional Transport Officer Krishna Rao and APSRTC Regional Manager V. Naga Sivudu were among those present on the occasion.
