Andhra Pradesh: APSRTC hikes bus charges amid burden due to hike in diesel rates

The APSRTC MD Dwaraka Thirumala Rao said the RTC was burdened by the rise in diesel prices. He told a media conference on Wednesday that the bulk rate of diesel had increased exponentially and opined that the corporation would go into losses if the maintenance charges are not yielded. He mentioned that the charges are going to be increased under Diesel Cess under mandatory conditions.

According to the increase under diesel cess, Rs. 2 increased for Pallevelugu buses followed by Rs. 5 on express services and Rs. 10 on AC buses. The minimum fare on rural buses will now be Rs 10. Confirmation

He appealed to the passengers to realise that this is not an increase in fares and opined that the hike will take effect from tomorrow (April 14). The APSRTC MD hoped that the passengers would understand and cooperate. He claimed that RTC's revenue has plummeted due to the Coronavirus outbreak and asserted that the RTC is incurring a loss of Rs 3.5 crore a day.

He claimed that the charges had not been increased for the last two years and mentioned that the hike was decided only under mandatory conditions.