APSRTC to hike ticket fares to 17 percent

Amaravati: The bus passengers are more in AP when compared to Telangana. Unlike in TS, there are no facilities of MMTS trains, Metro services here. Because of this if anyone wants to travel from city to village he has to depend on a bus journey.

By considering this even APSRTC has started Pallevelugu bus services. So far everything is going on smoothly. Now RTC has proposed to hike the fares of the ticket. It would be ok if the fares are raised nominally.

But the APSRTC management is planning to raise all at a once to 15 - 17 percent, which will burn a hole in the pockets of the passengers.

A person who is traveling on Rs 10 ticket fare, after the hike he has to pay around Rs 12. For a Rs 300 passenger, he has to pay Rs 350 which is going to be a burden on the common man.

As per officials, the last time APSRTC hiked fares was in 2015. In spite of the increase in the occupancy ratio, still, RTC is facing severe losses due to the rise in fuel prices and other reasons.

Over these issues, the APSRTC MD Surendra Babu has sent the proposal of a fare hike to AP government. Due to the election code in the state, the government has not taken any decision. However, a decision will be taken only after 23 May when the new government will be in place.

Maximum, there are chances to give green signal to increase the fares, because the AP government is already in debt of Rs 2 lakh crore.

Though the fares may not be hiked to 17 percent but to some level, the ticket price will be increased. So from June, traveling in APSRTC bus is going to be a costly affair.