VIJAYAWADA: Three major bus stations in the State - Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati will soon get a facelift as AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) Chairman Varla Ramaiah has prepared an action plan to improve amenities at these three bus stations on par with airports under public-private partnership (PPP) mode. Recently, Ramaiah along with corporation executive engineers, went on a three-day tour to Gujarat and inspected the facilities provided to the passengers at the bus stations in Vadodara and Ahmedabad. Bowled over by the amenities there, the RTC Chairman has instructed the officials concerned to replicate the same at Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati bus stations and transform them into one-stop centre for passengers.
On Saturday, Ramaiah gave a PowerPoint Presentation on the modern facilities provided by the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) officials at Central Bus Station (Vadodara), and Geeta Mandir Bus Station and Ranip Bus Terminal in Ahmedabad. The facilities include shopping malls, food courts, play arena for children and elderly people, cloakrooms, dormitories, cinema halls, amusement park, 3D mapping and laser show to provide entertainment before the passengers embark on their journey.
Addressing a press conference at the RTC House here, Ramaiah said that corporation is ready to provide enough land for the realtors and developers interested in developing the bus stations with modern amenities on par with airports under PPP mode. A proposal will be sent to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu seeking his nod to develop the three bus stations where passenger footfall has increased over the years, he said.
Giving a detailed structure of the action plan, he said that the officials will give priority in developing Tirupati bus station into a tourist hub by making use of the available resources. “Till April, the APSRTC was suffering a loss of `310 crore. In addition, the RTC is spending `210 crore per annum for purchasing diesel, which has touched an all-time high. “In this scenario, the RTC can’t depend on the revenue earned through passenger service alone. That’s why, we are focusing on improving amenities in the bus stations under PPP mode. We are ready to operate more services if the public prefer RTC buses in stead of private travels,’’ he added.
Proposed amenities
The facilities include shopping malls, food courts, play arena for children and elderly people, cloakrooms, dormitories, cinema halls, amusement park, 3D mapping and laser show to provide entertainment before the passengers embark on their journey