Mumbai, July 13 -- The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation has emerged as one of the best public transport organisations in the country, state transport and BC Welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar said. TGSRTC operates 10,170 buses through 97 depots and 364 bus stations and serves six point five million (6.5 mn) passengers daily with around 55,000 employees. The minister said strengthened operations and staff contributions underpinned the turnaround.
He said the Mahalakshmi free bus travel scheme for women has recorded 3.26 billion (3.26 bn) journeys and that women have saved Rupees (Rs) 113.77 billion (Rs 113.77 bn) in travel costs. He criticised the previous government for neglecting the corporation and said no new buses were bought during that decade. The present administration resolved key employee demands and reinstated 355 staff.
He commended drivers, conductors and staff and urged public support for the state-owned service. He assured that the proposed Nagarkurnool bus stand would be built with modern amenities and that the government remained committed to extending RTC services to every village connected by road. The remarks followed an extensive tour of Nagarkurnool district in which he inaugurated and laid foundation stones for several projects alongside ministers and local legislators.
The visit began with the foundation stone for a new bus stand at Timmajipet and included a stop at the BC Residential School at Uyyalawada to review facilities and press officials to act on grievances. He unveiled a statue of former chief minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, inaugurated a new regional transport authority office and laid the foundation for a TSRTC bus stand in Nagarkurnool town. Jupally Krishna Rao praised the minister for restoring profitability and said the previous administration had sought privatisation while the current government focused on strengthening public transport and local development.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.