VIJAYAWADA: Transport Minister Perni Venkataramaiah on Wednesday said that the previous Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government had increased the Andhra Pradesh State Road and Transport Corporation (APSRTC) ticket fare five times during their tenure, so Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu had no right to speak about the issue.
Addressing a press conference at the Interim Government Complex (IGC) in Velagapudi, Venkataramaiah said that the incumbent government has taken the step of a fare hike to bring the RTC out of losses and the TDP leaders were agitating only to gain political mileage. He recalled that the then TDP government had revised the RTC ticket fare five times-October 22, 2015, December 15, 2015, June 1, 2016, July 1, 2017, and July 1, 2018.
“During his tenure, Naidu fleeced the public and enhanced the ticket fare. How many of the TDP leaders, who are agitating now have boarded an RTC bus in their lifetime? As a mark of protest, MLC Nara Lokesh travelled in an RTC bus from his residence to the Secretariat but it boomeranged as the bus in which he travelled was a Palle Velugu bus and there was no hike for the first 10 km distance in that service,” the minister said.
Commenting on the recommendations made by the Judicial Preview Committee over the introduction of electric and diesel buses in the RTC fleet, Venkataramaiah said that the government will follow the recommendations made by the committee chairperson. He also stated that from January 1, RTC employees will be recognised as public transport department employees and will get the necessary benefits.