The Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation will venture into goods/cargo services within next two months if the State government approves the RTC Board proposal by utilising the infrastructure and expertise of the corporation.
RTC Managing Director B. Prasada Rao speaking to newsmen after formally launching the second compressor and dispenser unit of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) at the special CNG bus depot in Vijayawada on Monday, said while modalities of the operations have not been worked out, the corporation wishes to leverage its expertise in the arena.
“A new agency could be allowed to make use of our facilities and capture the large business opportunity available at the Railway and Sea Port in addition to general cargo to transport to the hinterland,” Mr. Prasada Rao said. Neither the time of launch of services or tariff worked out, he added.
The Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) corridor was ready and buses would be operated jointly as and when the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation was ready to do so, he said.
The operations were unlikely to make profits, but to provide a better effective public transport to the people, the corporation was ready to absorb the losses, the RTC-MD added.
Out of the 15.4 km BRTS route in the city dedicated corridor is only 4 km and the remaining portion is mixed traffic and operation cost per km will be Rs. 45 to Rs.47, while the revenue was likely to be Rs.33 to Rs.35 per km inflicting a loss of at least Rs.12 per km. The RTC Vijayawada region has come up with a new project to lay the Driver Testing Track on a 10-acre plot in Gannavaram. The RTC MD laid foundation for the facility that will be developed within six months. Making this announcement, Executive Director E-IT and HR G. Jaya Rao said it would have all the signage of National Highway and simulation of a practical driving track and was the first of its kind in the State.
Mr. Prasada Rao said in future the RTA officials would be allowed to make use of this facility so that when they test the heavy driving licence candidates they can be tested here. Krishna Regional Manager K.V.R.K. Prasad, and another Executive Director M. Surya Prakasa Rao were present.
