Private Operators to Review Bus Services to Andh

Cuprive

Editor

posted on 13 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

43
views

HYDERABAD: Private bus operators and travel agents are planning to hold a meeting soon to decide on continuing the services to the..

HYDERABAD: Private bus operators and travel agents are planning to hold a meeting soon to decide on continuing the services to the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions from the state capital if the Telangana Sakala Janula Samme intensifies and road blocks are created.
Their review of the situation was necessitated by the warning served by the Telangana Road Transport Corporation Joint Action Committee's warning to obstruct private bus services. Already, activists of the committee got into action on Saturday night, when most of those hailing from the other two regions plan their weekend trips, and obstructed private buses moving into and out of the capital city. Passengers had a harrowing time when the bus traffic was at a standstill for a couple of hours at LB Nagar here on the highway to Vijayawada. Private operators ply about 1,800 buses from Hyderabad to Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Amalapuram, Eluru, Bhimavaram, Anantapur, Kurnool, Kadapa, Tirupati and others places every day. Following the disruption on Saturday night, several operators suspended services for some time. A majority of travel agents spread across the city and its outskirts have become hesitant to sell tickets and are not sure if the services will run for those passengers who have already reserved their tickets in advance.

``It is quite difficult to run our services in view of the Telangana RTC Joint Action Committee leaders' threat to obstruct private bus services. We will do our most to operate services from the city to other places as usual. But we are concerned about passengers' safety. And, it is our responsibility to transport them to their destinations. We will convene a meeting and take a decision," said N Ramesh, incharge of a travel office at SR Nagar. As for passengers, they are in a confused state and their travel plans have gone for a toss.

D Anandam, chairman of the Telangana RTC JAC, told Express that they would intensify the rasta rokos and obstruct private bus services to the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. ``Of the 1,800odd buses plying from Hyderabad to others places, a majority belong to Andhra and Rayalaseema capitalists and they are responsible for the losses being incurred by the staterun RTC. Besides, they are collecting additional charges from passengers. We have given a call for obstruction of private bus services and our activists will create road blocks at different places on the HyderabadVijayawada highway as part of general strike,'' he said.