CPM activists burn the effigy of state government in protest against
the hike in RTC bus fare at Hi-tech Bus Stand near Kambala Tank in
Rajahmundry on Tuesday. — DC
Rajahmundry: As
the state government allowed the APSRTC to hike the fare on an average
by 9.5 per cent with an expected generation of nearly Rs 500 crores
annual revenue with effect from the wee hours on Wednesday, it drew
criticism from the regular passengers mainly the employees and students
and also the Opposition parties in Godavari districts.
The state government is being blamed for causing loss deliberately to the state carrier. The passengers contend that the state government is forcing the RTC to run its services in loss-making routes while allowing the private operators to run their services in profit-making routes.
This gross and deliberate discrimination is causing the RTC to lose the revenue in crores while the private operators are turning their business more lucrative and profitable and expanding their services further.
Passengers blame the state government for allowing the private operators who obtain permit for their buses as contract carriage to run them as stage carriers denting the revenues of the RTC. They flayed the state government for being lenient towards the private operators even though they are running three to four services to long distances with one registration number.
Though such lapses were exposed earlier too, the state government failed to control it allegedly succumbing to the lobby of the private operators. The unholy nexus among the private operators, politicians and the law-enforcing authorities need to be exposed, opined several passengers.
The state government is also blamed for claiming credit for providing concessional travel to several categories of passengers without reimbursing the same amount to the RTC. The passengers feel that this is causing a lot of revenue loss to the RTC making it to go sick in future if the state continues to adopt the same policy of not reimbursing its due share for providing concessional travel.
Regular passengers like employees and students flayed the state government for not sparing them by allowing the RTC to affect hike to the extent of Rs 50 for monthly concessional pass in all categories of services.
Meanwhile, CPM activists staged rasta roko and burnt the effigy of the state government for allowing the RTC to affect hike in its fare at Hi-Tech Bus Station.
Speaking on the occasion, CPM district secretariat member T. Arun said, “If the state government can impose curbs on private operators and reimburse its due share of amount incurred in providing concessional travel, RTC will run in profits.”
Telugu Desam state organising committee member Ganni Krishna said, “It is time the state government should takeover RTC and share its burden instead of passing it on the ordinary passengers.”
The state government is being blamed for causing loss deliberately to the state carrier. The passengers contend that the state government is forcing the RTC to run its services in loss-making routes while allowing the private operators to run their services in profit-making routes.
This gross and deliberate discrimination is causing the RTC to lose the revenue in crores while the private operators are turning their business more lucrative and profitable and expanding their services further.
Passengers blame the state government for allowing the private operators who obtain permit for their buses as contract carriage to run them as stage carriers denting the revenues of the RTC. They flayed the state government for being lenient towards the private operators even though they are running three to four services to long distances with one registration number.
Though such lapses were exposed earlier too, the state government failed to control it allegedly succumbing to the lobby of the private operators. The unholy nexus among the private operators, politicians and the law-enforcing authorities need to be exposed, opined several passengers.
The state government is also blamed for claiming credit for providing concessional travel to several categories of passengers without reimbursing the same amount to the RTC. The passengers feel that this is causing a lot of revenue loss to the RTC making it to go sick in future if the state continues to adopt the same policy of not reimbursing its due share for providing concessional travel.
Regular passengers like employees and students flayed the state government for not sparing them by allowing the RTC to affect hike to the extent of Rs 50 for monthly concessional pass in all categories of services.
Meanwhile, CPM activists staged rasta roko and burnt the effigy of the state government for allowing the RTC to affect hike in its fare at Hi-Tech Bus Station.
Speaking on the occasion, CPM district secretariat member T. Arun said, “If the state government can impose curbs on private operators and reimburse its due share of amount incurred in providing concessional travel, RTC will run in profits.”
Telugu Desam state organising committee member Ganni Krishna said, “It is time the state government should takeover RTC and share its burden instead of passing it on the ordinary passengers.”
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