The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation could not run even a single bus of the approximately 10,000 plied from 89 depots across all the 10 Telangana districts, with the staff pitching in their support for the ongoing general strike from midnight of Sunday.
The only exception was that 30 hired buses were operated in the State capital after 10 a.m., on Monday, to ferry Secretariat staff from their homes to their workplace, said the corporation’s Executive Director-Human Resources Development G.V. Ramana Rao.
The success of the strike is attributed to the fact that the 70,000-strong National Nazdoor Union, the recognised body of employees is strong in the Telangana region. The corporation’s losses due to non-operation of buses on a single day in the region works out to an average of Rs. 6 crore. However, it being a Monday when the traffic is heavier, the loss was estimated at around Rs. 8 crore, Mr. Rao said.
The APSRTC was established in 1932 as a unit of the Nizam’s State Railways — Road Transport Division with an initial fleet of 27 buses. The number of buses has now crossed about 23,000, including about 3,000 hired buses. The corporation ferries almost 1.40 crore passengers every day throughout A.P.
When contacted, APSRTC Managing Director B. Prasada Rao said every effort was being made to mobile private drivers to run as many services as possible. He said he had briefed Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy of the situation. The Chief Minister had wanted the corporation to try and run services at least in the State capital.
