Floods caused extensive damage to APSRTC facilities, says MD

APSRTC Vice-Chairman expresses concern over flood losses, inspects damage, and arranges free buses for flood victims.

Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao on September 8 (Sunday) expressed serious concern over the massive losses incurred by the public carrier due to the devastating floods in the State.

Speaking to the media after visiting the Corporation’s Vidyadharapuram depot, which has been inundated causing significant losses to the APSRTC, Mr. Tirumala Rao said since it was not possible to go by walk, he, along with a team of APSRTC officials, travelled on a bus and inspected the rows of buses, the garage and the scrapyard that came under a thick sheet of water.

He said following instructions from Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, buses were arranged to shift residents of the flood-hit localities to safer destinations free of cost, as it was not possible for them to walk due to heavy layers of slush. He said APSRTC buses had made 594 trips daily to transport 18,000 flood victims to safer places.

He said it was distressing to see extensive damage caused to many depots. Referring to the Vidyadharapuram depot, he said 41 new buses were parked inside and they were not affected by the deluge in any way.

“The buses would be thoroughly examined after the water level recedes and then they would be put to use,” he said.

Mr. Tirumala Rao said floodwater had entered the APSRTC’s central hospital at Vidyadharapuram, causing extensive damage to the stocks of medicines stored for the employees. “There has also been considerable damage to the Transport Academy, new vehicle storage yard and zonal stores,” he said.

He said the extent of the damage was being assessed. “APSRTC is a robust organisation and I am hopeful that it will bounce back to normal at the earliest,” he said. Stating these were challenging times, he urged the officials and staff of the corporation to work collectively to overcome the difficult phase.