Hyderabad: The TS RTC, which has added 143 inter-state services this year, will start about 200 more in four months. The RTC currently runs 560 inter-state services.
For this, the RTC will use a clause in the inter-state agreements that allow the state in which a bus travels a longer distance to run more services to the other state.
For example, a bus on the Hyderabad-Nagpur route travels 75 per cent of the distance in TS and the rest in Maharasthra. This gives TS the right to run more services to Nagpur. This clause benefits TS in its plans to run more services to major destinations in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.
The number of services to AP has been raised to 156 from 46 in the last four months, and more are in the offing to replace those that were being operated in the undivided state. “By March 2018, we will restore all the old routes in AP that existed before formation of TS,” RTC managing director G.V. Ramana Rao said.
He also said the corporation had increased its routes by 1 lakh kilometres, to 36 lakh km. The number of passengers has grown to 1.04 crore from 94 lakh.
Transport minister Patnam Mahender Reddy while launching interstate bus services from Tandur to Dantewada on Sunday said the RTC began services to Visakhapatnam, Ongole, Kakinada and other places in AP.
Besides, the RTC will be linking mandal and district headquarters and Hyderabad in phases.
Mr Mahender Reddy said this would be facilitated with the purchase of 1,500 buses for which the government has sanctioned Rs 350 crore. “We are going to ask the Chief Minister for 1,500 more buses,” he said.
Mr Ramana Rao said that based on the road conditions at mandal headquarters, the RTC would operate Vajra A/C, mini non-A/C and other buses.
