RTC to sweeten bus fare hike by introducing more facilities
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The RTC is losing Rs 30 lakh a day in the Greater Hyderabad Zone. “Total losses in the last financial year borne by the Greater Hyderabad Zone stood at Rs 14 crore. In this financial year, to date a loss of Rs 25 crore has already been registered despite the peak season,” said Greater Hyderabad and Hyderabad Zones executive director A. Koteswara Rao. “Of 1.5 crore people travelling daily in RTC buses, the majority travel in ordinary buses. The fare hike burden on ordinary bus passengers will be very mi-nimal. Flexifares in Garuda, Garuda Plus, Vennela and Indra are being introduced for the first time,” said APSRTC vice-chairman and MD A.K. Khan.
“There is also a Rs 50-crore VAT being charged. In spite of measures to control expenditure, several strikes in recent times have caused immense losses to the organisation. Therefore, fare hike is inevitable,” he said. “With the fare hike, revenue in the remaining financial year will be Rs 362.9 crore still leaving a deficit of Rs 372 crore,” he said.
To sweeten the deal, the RTC offered many facilities. Proposals include GPS system for information on bus arrivals and departures, mobile ticketing, SMS facility, audio and video facilities in buses. Modernisation of 773 bus stations in the state is on the cards with the MGBS Hyderabad, JBS Secunderabad, PNBS Vijayawada, DBS Visakhapatnam and Tirupati being the biggest to be undertaken. Almost 2,000 new buses will be purchased in this financial year in view of the increasing number of passengers
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