VIJAYAWADA: The APSRTC Employees Union (EU) have demanded that the management withdraw its Request for Proposal (RFP) issued for selection of bus operators for procurement, operation and maintenance of air-conditioned electric buses on gross cost control model.
In a press release issued here on Wednesday, EU general secretary P Damodar said the Centre had sanctioned 350 e-buses to the Corporation as part of phase-II of FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India). Of the total, 100 buses were allotted for Vizag, 50 for Vijayawada, and 50 each for Amaravati, Kakinada and Tirupati. To materialise the initiative, the Corporation had recently invited RPF from bidders to maintain routes for 350 electric buses that are to be procured soon, he added.
Damodar made it clear that the EU was not against the introduction of e-buses, but the management’s decision of handing over the maintenance of routes to corporate firms. He demanded that the Centre directly divert the funds to the RTC.
NMU members meet Jagan
Memebers of the RTC’s National Mazdoor Union (NMU) met Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at Interim Government Complex (IGC) in Velagapudi on Wednesday. They thanked the chief minister for merging the APSRTC with the State government and directing to constitute a public transport department. Union general secretary Y Srinivasa Rao appealed to the CM to provide pension, white ration cards and house sites to the retired employees. Jagan, in his reply, assured them of steps for the welfare of RTC employees.