VIJAYAWADA: A total of 3,132 cases were registered against private bus operators in the State by the Transport department for charging exorbitant ticket fare from passengers between January 2 and 16 and 546 buses were seized for violations, said Transport Minister Perni Venkataramaiah.
Addressing a press conference at Tadepalli on Friday, Venkataramaiah said that on December 30, the private bus operators in the State were warned of stern action if they found fleecing the passengers by increasing the ticket fare during the Sankranti festive season. A WhatsApp number:8309887955 was also launched for the public to lodge their complaints if they were fleeced by the private bus operators.
Based on the complaints, special teams were constituted involving break inspectors and special checks were conducted on many routes, he said. The minister said that of the total 544 buses seized, Krishna district topped in the list with 202 followed by Visakhapatnam district (198). In terms of cases, 645 were registered in Krishna district and 367 buses booked in West Godavari district. Moreover, the APSRTC had announced 4,900 special bus services in addition to the existing ones as per the demand during the festival time to check the exploitation by the private bus operators. The APSRTC services ferried 1,03,500 people to their native places during the festival, the minister said.
Venkataramaiah claimed that the number of people who used the APSRTC services during January 2020 has increased compared to that in January 2019. Over 2,000 special buses would be operated by the APSRTC to take the people back to their destination after the festival ends on Friday, the minister said and added that the government had increased the number of buses for the convenience of the travellers during the festival time.
“We are requesting the passengers to lodge their complaints on 8309887955 through WhatsApp if they find that the private bus operators are fleecing them. Instructions were also given to the motor vehicle inspectors across the State to conduct special checks till January 20 during the post-Sankranti season,’’ the Transport Minister informed.
202 buses seized in Krishna, 198 in Vizag
546 buses were seized for violations
202 buses in Krishna district
198 buses in Vizag district
645 cases registered in Krishna district
367 buses booked in West Godavari district
4,900 special bus services run by APSRTC to clear Sankranti rush
2,000 special buses would be plied by the RTC after the festival ends on Friday