Citing a steep increase in the price of diesel, the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) is implementing a marginal increase in the diesel cess from July 1.
In a statement on Thursday, APSRTC Chairman A. Mallikarjun Reddy and Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao said 11,271 buses in the fleet catered to the transport needs of 45 lakh people every day by covering a daily distance of 41 lakh km.
They pointed out that the neighbouring Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) had increased ticket fares and student bus pass rates from June 9.
The APSRTC ticket rates were increased last on December 11 in 2019 when the cost of diesel was ₹67 per litre. With the price increasing by ₹40 as on April 13 this year, the APSRTC was left with no choice but to impose a nominal diesel cess.
Further, with the market (bulk) rate of diesel increasing to ₹131 on June 29 and the corporation incurring an additional daily revenue loss of ₹2.50 crore, besides the expenditure incurred on proper maintenance of the buses, it was forced to impose a fresh hike in diesel cess from July 1, they said.
They said a slab system would be created and the increased cess would be collected depending on the distance covered. A slight increase had also been effected in the student bus pass rate, they said, informing that the city bus services had been exempted from the hike.
The officials appealed to the people to understand the precarious financial position of the corporation and extend their cooperation.
