VIJAYAWADA: The ongoing tussle over entering an inter-state agreement with Telangana for resumption of bus services is likely to be resolved with the officials of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) scheduled to meet their TSRTC counterparts in Hyderabad on Monday.
As per the agreement, which the APSRTC had agreed in principle, it has to not just reduce the number of kilometres that it is running buses in TS but also reduce 350 services to Hyderabad from various parts of the State.
Speaking to TNIE on Sunday, APSRTC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director MT Krishna Babu confirmed that the corporation has to reduce operation of around 350 buses to Hyderabad from various parts of AP soon after entering the inter-state agreement with the TSRTC. The APSRTC used to run around 900 bus services to Hyderabad, earning a good revenue.
The APSRTC used to operate buses for a total distance of 2.61 lakh kilometres per day in Telangana before the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, after the lockdown and the subsequent Unlock 2.0 which allowed resumption of public transport services, the two corporations had decided to enter into an inter-state agreement for resuming bus services.
The series of talks started on June 17. Even after four rounds of talks on the issue, the officials of the two sides could not reach an agreement to run bus services causing inconvenience to people travelling between the two states, which benefited private operators.
Finally, the TSRTC urged the APSRTC to reduce its operations by one lakh km and confine them to 1.61 lakh km. “To avoid inconvenience to people, we have decided to put an end to the ongoing tussle,’’ Krishna Babu said.
The APSRTC MD said he and his Telangana counterpart Sunil Sharma will be part of the talks on Monday and reach an inter-state agreement, which is likely to be signed in the presence of Telangana State Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar.
Asked whether the APSRTC has any plans to increase its operations, Krishna Babu said a study will be conducted soon to improve bus connectivity to North Andhra and Rayalaseema districts to compensate the loss incurred due to reduction of bus services to Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, APSRTC Executive Director (Operations) KS Brahmananda Reddy said they have already submitted a route map for operating bus services for 1.61 lakh km per day in Telangana State to their counterparts.