Vijayawada: RTC to provide 52 Sanjeevini buses for Covid-19 tests

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) will arrange 52 Sanjeevini Covid-19 testing buses to the Medical and Health Department to conduct Covid-19 tests in the State.

As part of the efforts to render services to the State government and the people in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, the RTC has decided to provide 52 Sanjeevini buses, which are designed to conduct Covid-19 tests.

The seats were removed from the RTC buses and windows, chairs and other facilities were arranged to conduct the tests. Vice-chairman and the Managing Director of the APSRTC, Madireddy Pratap, told reporters on Wednesday that the RTC will hand over 21 buses very soon to the Medical and Health Department and the remaining 31 buses will be handed over in 2-3 weeks.

He said the RTC staff redesigned the buses with least expenditure to conduct Covid-19 tests. Ten tests can be conducted at a time in a Sanjeevini bus and these buses can go to the even remote areas, the MD added. He said as part of the efforts to generate revenue, the RTC is converting some buses for cargo services. Some government departments and private companies are coming forward to utilise the cargo services being extended by the RTC, he added. He said the RTC engineering staff is redesigning some buses for the cargo services.

Referring to Unlocking of Lockdown and needs of people, he said the RTC is planning to convert 200 RTC buses into Mobile Janata Bazaars to supply vegetables and essential commodities to the people. He informed that the Marketing Department had asked the RTC to provide 200 Mobile Janata Bazaar buses, which will be used to transport the essential commodities to the residential areas in urban and rural areas including remote areas in the State. He reminded that so far vegetables were supplied in the RTC buses in the containment areas in the State.

He said the Mobile Janata Bazaars will be helpful to check the spread of coronavirus and prevent huge public gathering at the markets. He said the RTC has launched heavy vehicle driving school in the State to train 5,000 drivers per year. He said 25 Lok Sabha segments will have 25 driving learning schools in the State to train the youth so that they get training as well as livelihood.