Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation bus services continued to be affected across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for the second consecutive day on Thursday owing to an indefinite strike by recognised staff unions of the undivded corporation.
With the Engineering, Agriculture, Medicine Common Entrance Test (EAMCET) in Andhra Pradesh scheduled for Friday, the authorities are making hectic efforts to resume services today.
Quoting from the official status report, the corporation’s Chief Traffic Manager S. Suresh Kumar said that as of 8 a.m. on Thursday, 1,979 of the scheduled 6,461 bus services were operated across the 13 districts of A.P., working out to 30.6 per cent. However, in Telangana only 478 of 6,243 buses (7.5 per cent) could be run, he said.
The Twin Cities apart, districts in Telangana where bus operations were low, include Mahbubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda and Warangal, he said, adding that they were asking Regional and Depot Managers to go all out and ensure that hired buses could be brought out of the depots using temporary drivers.
Mr. Suresh added that meanwhile, following the networking with the Fire Services Department by the corporation’s Managing Director Nanduri Sambasiva Rao, 20 drivers across the 13 districts of AP would operate buses by Thursday afternoon.
EAMCET candidates
On Wednesday, Mr. Rao had expressed confidence that if they reached 40 per cent operations by Thursday afternoon, they would be able to use the services to help the estimated 2 lakh students who would be taking the EAMCET examinations on Friday.
On his part, Joint Managing Director (Telangana) G.V. Ramana Rao on Thursday met Additional Director-General of Police (Telangana) Sudeep Lakhtakia to request his help in ensuring protection for temporary drivers who were willing to take out the hired buses.
He expressed the hope that there would be a lot of improvement in services by May 14 when EAMCET examination in Telangana is scheduled. The corporation is trying to engage drivers of fire service department to run the buses.
