Anumolu Chandra Kumar is upbeat. He has just cancelled a ticket he had booked in advance in a private bus company to visit home for Dasara festivities and made a fresh booking in a bus belonging to the AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) for a lower price. “The decision of the State-run transport organisation to operate buses on regular fares this year will benefit many travellers like me,” says the techie from Hyderabad gleefully.
After a marathon round of talks with the State officials, the APSRTC management has announced its decision to do away with the 50% extra charges collected in the special buses that are pressed into service every year to clear the festival rush.
With the main festival days Durgashtami falling on October 3, Navami on October 4 and Dashami on October 5, the public transport giant will deploy 4,500 special buses, starting from September 26 up to October 9. “Dasara is a major festival for people of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. We will deploy special buses to cater to the transport needs of people travelling through the States to be with their families and friends on this special occasion. Regular charges will be collected in the special buses also because we do not want to burden the public,” says Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, the Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the corporation.
