Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar has called upon the elected public representatives of each constituency in the State to act as brand ambassadors for TSRTC by contributing their mite to propel the public transport entity forward on the path of growth and revitalise it.
To drive home the message that all stakeholders including people and public representatives become active partners in the endeavour to strengthen the TSRTC, M Ajay along with Khammam MP Nama Nageswara Rao travelled a distance of about 75 km in a TSRTC bus from Khammam to Kothagudem on Saturday.
Speaking to mediapersons, Mr Ajay said that plans were afoot to introduce cargo and parcel services in the TSRTC to bail out the public transport entity from losses and augment it’s revenue.
A separate fleet of around 800 buses, mostly those found unsuitable for ferrying passengers, will be allotted for cargo services and the cargo buses will bear a separate colour code and logo, he said.
The TSRTC can offer its cargo services to various government departments including the civil supplies and the agriculture departments for transporting the PDS rice and seeds, thereby earning additional revenue, he noted.
Initially, 100 cargo buses will be introduced soon, he said, adding that around 1,000 hired passenger buses will be inducted into the fleet of the TSRTC shortly.
Later, Mr Ajay along with Panchayat Raj Minister E Dayakar Rao participated in a meeting held in connection with the ensuing second phase of Palle Pragati programme in Palvancha town and distributed tractors.
The ministers handed over as many as 152 tractors to the sarpanches of various Gram Panchayats of Bhadradri-Kothagudem district on the occasion. Kothagudem MLA Vanama Venkateshwara Rao, Collector Rajat Kumar Saini and others attended the meeting.