RTC Running 220 Addl Buses to TS Districts

HYDERABAD: The string of holidays beginning Aug 15 and stretching up to Aug 19 is proving to be a boon not only for employees but also the APSRTC. The corporation has pressed into service extra buses to clear the rush and is even ready to increase the number of buses depending on demand.

The corporation is running 220 additional buses from Hyderabad to various districts in Telangana on Aug 17 and 445 on Aug 18. The Intensive Household Survey, which will be conducted throughout Telangana on Aug 19, has been a major factor in prompting the RTC to run additional buses.

The occupancy rate in inter-state RTC buses has also increased this weekend, said C Vinod Kumar, regional manager, Rangareddy district, APSRTC. He said 20 extra buses were being run on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru route.

Vinod Kumar pointed out that the demand picked up from Aug 8 because of marriages. It surged from Aug 11 and peaked on Aug 14 & 15, he explained. According to him, the demand is usually high during weekends on Hyd-Vijayawada, Guntur, Ongole, Vizag, Kurnool and East Godavari routes. In Telangana, the Hyd-Warangal, Khammam and Karimnagar routes usually witness high demand.

“Usually during monsoon, compared to the months of March/April, the occupancy rate will be low. When compared to Aug last, the demand is better this time,” said Vinod Kumar. Agreeing with him, Subash Chandra Bose, owner of a bus travels, said the demand for their services was next to negligible in Aug last.