Govt plans to add 2,536 new buses into RTC fleet in state
As many as 2,536 additional buses would be inducted into the existing fleet of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (
APSRTC
) to implement the free bus travel scheme for women. Officials of the state-run corporation submitted the estimates on the scheme to chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday.
APSRTC has not included new buses in its fleet for a long time, and there will be an additional requirement of buses as the passenger rush is likely to increase once the scheme is implemented. Officials estimate that an amount of ₹996 crore is required to induct new buses. They also explained the need to improve other facilities like drinking water, sanitation, bus information systems, and other amenities at bus stations.
In a review meeting on the free bus scheme with the CM, officials said they estimate the number of journeys by women is likely to increase by about 78% after the scheme is rolled out. The total number of trips by women is likely to increase from 49.91 crore to 88.90 crore trips annually.
Naidu suggested officials to go for new buses or take buses on rental basis if required. He said all new buses to be inducted into APSRTC fleet henceforth should be electric-AC buses. He also suggested exploring the possibility of converting existing diesel buses into electric ones. He also wanted GPS installation in every bus to be made mandatory, while stressing on the cleanliness of bus stations and buses.
The chief minister made it clear that the scheme will be rolled out from Aug 15 despite financial difficulties. 'In view of the challenges being faced by the state, public money should be utilised efficiently,' he said, and suggested looking for additional revenue sources focusing on cost reduction. Even in the procurement of new buses, he asked officials to explore all options to ease the financial burden on the govt. He suggested officials to study the best implementation models, explore options to generate own power for EV buses, hand over maintenance to private players, and explore battery swapping options.
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