RTC unions take up cudgels over reduced bus routes

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) unions are up in arms against as their officials are insisting to decrease the number of kilometres of APSRTC buses in the State alleging that this was a conspiracy to hand over the routes to private operators.

The interstate buses are yet to start between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh even after relaxation of the restrictions by the Union Home Ministry. The government has directed the State-owned corporation to operate buses only after entering into a fresh agreement. Already two rounds of talks were held between the officials of AP and TS RTCs. Telangana officials had urged their Andhra Pradesh counterparts to decrease the number of kilometres of their buses citing the indiscriminate allocation of bus services during the bifurcation of the corporation.

However, the unions feel that there is a conspiracy by the officials in TSRTC to lose the decreased kilometres to private operators. Telangana Mazdoor Union leader E Ashwadhama Reddy said, "It appears the RTC management and government are not honest on agreement on interstate buses. The APSRTC used to operate 1 lakh kilometres additional compared to the TSRTC.

It is learnt that AP has given its consent to TSRTC to increase one lakh kilometres. It has also agreed for decreasing 50,000 kilometres of APSRTC and increasing 50,000 kms for TSRTC. These two proposals are favourable. If we are asking to decrease one lakh kilometres, we should operate buses in that but it appears the additional kilometres the TSRTC would be getting would be given to private operators," said E Ashwadhama Reddy.

The TSRTC Employees Union leader K Raji Reddy said presently APSRTC is covering 2,63,000 kms operating more than 1,000 buses whereas TSRTC is covering 1,53,000 kms by operating 750 buses. The TSRTC has scope for increasing one lakh kilometres but the government is conspiring to give these routes to private players. Instead, the government should help the corporation financially to procure new buses for operating them.

Governments should respect the interstate agreement and strengthen the RTC and save public transport in both the States, said Raji Reddy. The officials of both the corporation would be meeting soon on the interstate agreement.