Andhra Pradesh RTC staff prevent entry of private buses into Kuppam
The Hindu
Despite having a separate bus stand on the outskirts of Kurnool, private buses are plying in the main thoroughfares of the town, resulting in a loss to the APSRTC, complain the staff
The employees of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), Kuppam depot, on Thursday staged a road blockage at the bus stand junction, preventing private buses from entering the town.
The protesters, a majority of them RTC bus crew members, complained that even as there is a separate bus stand for private buses at the bypass road junction on the outskirts of Kuppam, the private buses were passing through the town, resulting in losses to the depot for RTC buses.
About a dozen private buses ply on the rural routes in the Kuppam division, besides on the routes to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The RTC employees said that the private bus stand was set up nearly a decade ago, and the operation of private buses were limited to the town outskirts. It has been the norm since then. However, some private buses of late are plying through the main thoroughfares of Kuppam with the political support, the RTC staff alleged.
The Kuppam Urban Police rushed to the spot and pacified the protesters. Meanwhile, the RTC staff and the private operators submitted memoranda to the revenue officials.