Covid-19 impacts Khammam RTC

Khammam: In the midst of corona virus pandemic and increasing temperature, TSRTC Khammam region is operating buses with a huge loss. May buses are plying with low occupancy and some buses are even running empty. The RTC officials, who expected to overcome from loss, are now worrying a lot and considering reducing number of trips in low income places.

After 68 days lockdown, Khammam region RTC officials started running 442 buses within the State. They had a bitter experience on the first day itself with only 17 per cent occupancy ratio. Still occupancy ratio in many routes is below 20% and it is 42% in some areas.

According to the RTC officials,Telangana the organisation will get income if the occupancy ratio crosses 70%. According to the information, commuters are not paying interest to travel in buses due to the fear of coronavirus and also due high temperature.

District witnessing 40 to 45 degree Celsius temperature is also a reason for people not coming out from houses after 9 am to till 4 pm every day. Corona fear is also haunting the people and forcing them to postpone their travelling.

One RTC official said before lockdown, the region's income was Rs 90 lakh per day by transporting about 1.50 lakh commuters to their destinations every day. But now transporting only 20,000 to 30,000 commuters per day and the income is Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakh only per day, he added.

Khammam RTC Regional Manager SVG Krishna Murthy said people are slowly overcoming their fear to travel in buses and the occupancy ratio would increase slowly. He observed that restrictions on the number of guests to marriage and other functions also a reason for lesser number of occupancy.