Covid effect: RTC's revenue nosedives in Krishna region

Vijayawada: The second wave of Covid has its impact on the revenue of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) Krishna region.

The RTC is losing its income due to falling occupancy ratio as the people are unwilling to travel in buses due to fast spread of the corona infection.

The RTC Krishna region, which play very important role in transportation of passengers in the State, is losing Rs40 lakh revenue per day due to falling occupancy ratio in recent days. The Krishna region has 14 depots and 1300 buses and operating both long distance and short distance services to various parts in the State and other States like Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. Till March 2021, the Krishna region used to get Rs1 crore revenue per day with occupancy ration of about 60 per cent. But the revenue decreased to Rs60 lakh per day in recent days in the backdrop of decreasing occupancy ratio.

Students, elderly people, people with co-morbidities and children have stopped travelling due to fast spread of Covid infection and thousands of Covid cases are reported in the State.

After the disastrous first wave of Covid from March to June/July 2020, the RTC gradually recovered and occupancy ratio gradually increased to 65 to 70 per cent by November and December.

The Krishna region registered nearly 60 per cent occupancy ratio in February and March.

But the April month proved to be very unproductive as passengers are reluctant to travel in the buses. Most people have postponed the tours, pilgrimage, marriages and other functions in view of the rampant Covid cases registered in the State. More than 10,000 Covid cases have been registered on average per day in the State during the past few days.

The RTC, the biggest public transport organisation in the State is operating 10,000 buses per day. More than 50,000 staff is working in the APSRTC. The second wave of Covid has its toll on the revenue and it is expected the revenue will fall down, if the present covid scenario continues in the State.

APSRTC Vijayawada region Chief Transport Manager G Satyanarayana said the Krishna region is losing Rs40 lakh per day due to drastic fall in occupancy in recent days. He said the Krishna region used to get revenue of Rs1 crore per day is now losing revenue drastically due to the impact of the second wave of Covid. The Pandit Nehru Bus Station in Vijayawada wearing a deserted look as passenger rush gradually decreased in recent days.