APSRTC to start AC bus services from today, likely to plan night trips as well

After APSRTC starts its services from Thursday morning with more than 1,700 buses on 436 routes across the state with fifty per cent occupancy, however, RTC started with only non-AC services. There are no bus services to Ongole and Guntur. As the district administration did not allow buses to arrive, the passengers were informed that the reservation was cancelled. Meanwhile, the public transport department has decided to operate AC buses and overnight services as the latest summer temperatures hit record highs.

Amaravati, Metro Luxury and Vennale AC buses will be operated from Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Kakinada, Rajamahendravaram and other remote areas. It is ensured that the care is taken to maintain the temperature at 26 degrees. In this backdrop, 18 buses will run from Vishakhapatnam on Sunday as passengers to Vijayawada has increased and two buses ply at 7 and 7.30 pm. Overnight services to Srikakulam and Vijayanagaram districts are also planned on Sunday along with 126 buses from Visakhapatnam, Paderu, Narsipatnam and Anakapalli depots.

For the past three days, long-distance services have been popular among the RTC buses. Besides Visakhapatnam, the demand for buses from the Rayalaseema region like Kadapa, Anantapur, Kurnool and Tirupati has increased. Meanwhile, the migrant workers who are stuck with the lockdown are unable to travel on their vehicles and flocking to bus stands at 6 am. They waited in queues to book tickets.