Hyderabad: Even as the Army is all set to block AOC road at night from Tuesday, February 25, there has been no ban on the movement of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport buses. Civilians have alleged discrimination saying that the Army authorities have not restricted the functioning of the RTC buses plying on the AOC stretch to ensure that their men are not inconvenienced. Four bus-6stops fall on this stretch.
V. Suresh Kumar of the Residents Welfare Association, Anand Bagh said, “The Army officials are concerned about the travel of their men, which is why they have not banned the operation of APSRTC buses. But they have not thought about lakhs of commuters for whom the AOC provides major connectivity. Our welfare association will raise this point in the discussions with defence officials. More colonies are demanding that the Army revoke its decision.”
APSRTC executive director (Hyderabad) V. Koteswara Rao said that the APSRTC has not received any official letter from the Army authorities about banning civilian movement on AOC roads. “State-run buses make 300 trips a day through this particular stretch. APSRTC has never looked at profits on this route. The state-run buses will continue to ply on this road unless there are further restrictions,” he said. Signs prohibiting civilian passage have been put up at Allahabad Gate (East Marredpally), Wellington Road, West Marredpally, Ordnance Road and at the four crossings ahead of the R.K. Puram flyover. Drops gates and Army guard posts have been set up and jawans have been deployed at entry and exit points. There is heavy bandobust at five different junctions. A signature campaign was held on Tuesday at Malkajgiri to protest the Army’s decision to close roads.
