APSRTC cancels concession cards over change woes

Ongole: The APSRTC cancelled the Navya, Vanitha CAT cards in the state as it find hard it to meet the change demands from the passengers. While it is rounding off the ticket price to the nearest multiple of Rs 5, the RTC stopped issuing the 10 percent concession cards.

The APSRTC introduced Concessional Annual Travel (CAT) card on January 1, 2000, apart from multiple journey ticket, one week journey ticket and other types of concession tickets, to provide a 10 per cent concession on each ticket to the passenger. It introduced Vanitha card to share the concession benefit with family members in 2011 and new model of CAT card in the name of Navya card in 2013.

As per the APSRTC, there are about 7.72 lakh cards of concession cards like Navya, Vanitha cards active in the state. For a long time, the conductors are complaining to the administrative department that they are unable to provide change to the passengers and often it is becoming the reason for running the bus late. 

So the APSRTC managing director NV Surendra Babu and other executive directors decided to round off the ticket price to the nearest multiples of Rs 5 in all services except the Telugu Velugu. This rounding off of the charge results in Rs 2 - 3 saving per ticket of the large number of regular passengers for a short distance. Now, if a passenger wants to get the Rs 5 concession, he should travel for nearly 50 km in the express and above services.

K Adam Saheb, manager of APSRTC Prakasam region, said that the RTC decided to stop the issue of the new cards and renewals of the existing CAT cards as they become no longer useful. He announced that the existing cards will be offered concession on the new ticket prices, but it is the responsibility of the passengers to bring the sufficient change, if required.

But the passengers are disappointed with the decision of the APSRTC. Thota Krishna Babu, a trader who travels regularly to nearby towns around Ongole said that he saves around Rs 3,000 per year on RTC tickets but pays only Rs 150 for renewal of his CAT card, said  that with the cancellation of the concession cards, the passengers will also lose insurance policy for Rs 1.75 lakh offered for free with the CAT card. Several passengers like Krishna Babu demanded the RTC management to rethink over the decision and reintroduce the concession ticket again.