128 APSRTC depots closed, 12,000 services cancelled in State

Railway, bus stations deserted on first day of lockdown

RTC buses parked at the Pandit Nehru Bus Station in Vijayawada during lockdown in Vijayawada on Monday.

With the government declaring lockdown, all the 12,000 buses belonging to the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) were confined to 128 depots in the State from Sunday midnight.

All the suburban and urban services were cancelled and buses of neighbouring States were not allowed into the State. The APSRTC security and the police arranged security at all the bus stations.

“APSRTC is operating 12,000 buses from 128 depots in 3,800 routes. We are carrying about 65 lakh passengers covering 44 lakh kilometres everyday. Following the directions of the government, all the services were cancelled,” said Corporation Executive Director (Operations) K.S. Brahmananda Reddy.

Police and the APSRTC arranged pickets at Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS), Gudivada, Machilipatnam, Hanuman Junction, Tirivuru, Gannavaram, Nandigama and other complexes and closed them by arranging barricades to prevent the movement of public.

Counters closed

“As the public transportation has been suspended, we request the passengers not to come to the bus stations. All the reservation counters, canteens, book stalls, fruit and juice stalls located in the bus stations were closed since last night,” Mr. Reddy told The Hindu on Monday.

APSRTC employees said this was the first time that the management cancelled all the bus services and closed 128 depots in the State. Entry for public into the bus stations was also restricted, said an RTC employee.

“In 2001, the employees participated in strike for 24 days in the united Andhra Pradesh. In 2005, we went on strike for five days and again in 2013, all the employees participated in Sakala Janula Samme during Telangana agitation. But, this is the first time that all the 128 depots were closed after the State was bifurcated,” said an RTC official.

Railway stations deserted

The Vijayawada railway station, one of the biggest station in Indian Railways, wore a deserted look. Only a few freight trains were seen passing through the station on Monday.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP) and the railway officials set up barricades and closed the entry points. Police arranged check posts and were seen guarding the main gates to prevent entry of public into the station.

“We closed all the railway stations including Rajahmundry, Nellore, Eluru, Nidadavole, Tuni, Bhimavaram, Gudivada, Kakinada, Machilipatnam, Palakol, Narsapur and even the small stations. Except one or two, all the establishments in the stations will remain close till March 31,” said Vijayawada Divisional Railway Manager P. Srinivas.