The TSRTC has the liberty to run any private vehicle hired by paying a fixed charge after obtaining a permit, according to its MD In-Charge Sunil Sharma.
In an affidavit filed in the Telangana High Court in a writ petition challenging the Corporation’s decision to hire over 1,000 private buses to ply in different routes in the State, Mr. Sharma said it was unable to procure buses on its own due to ‘critical financial position’. The affidavit said the TSRTC Karmika Sangh, which filed the petition, had no locus-standi in the matter. ‘The petitioner is neither a participant in the tender notification nor a hire bus owner,’ the affidavit said. The In-Charge MD said the State government had, under section 34 (1) of the RTC Act, permitted the Corporation to hire 1,035 buses to meet the travel needs of the people. Accordingly, the notification was issued, tenders were finalised and allotment letters were issued to 287 successful bidders, the affidavit said.