Less OR throwing APSRTC into losses

Vijayawada, October 17: Less occupancy ratio (OR) and operational drawbacks are throwing the Andhra Pradesh RTC into losses. With 91 per cent OR, RTC could be run without losses. But the OR is not increasing more than 75 per cent. The OR of Telugu Velugu buses is not more than 55 per cent due to private buses. There are as many as 39 motor vehicle inspectors (MVI) in RTC but failed to control the private buses plying in villages. Private cars taking in passengers at Pundit Nehru bus stand in Vijayawada to Tirupati, Rajahmundry, Vizag etc shows the private operators are running their business unabashedly.As AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu didn t agree to raise the ticket fares, RTC MD Sambasiva Rao started parcel and courier service in last June. According to officials estimations, the RTC should get more than Rs. 300 crores per annum. But the services were up to the mark for two months in the beginning but later took backstage.Lack of coordination between the depot managers was also another reason. They are running empty buses or with minimum passengers one after another competing with other depots at the same time. When the regional manager asked them to change the time schedule, the depot managers replied that they have distance target and they would face problems if they don?t complete the target distance.A few bus services from Kurnool, Anantapur, Chittoor, Nellore districts to Bengaluru, Chennai were cancelled due to Kaveri river water dispute this season. After the situation came under control, the depot mangers pressed more buses into service, saying that they have to reach their kilometers target.The conductors and drivers said how RTC could get profits if buses were operated without passengers. They suggested that RTC Regional Managers should give timing charts to Depot Managers on running the buses. They demanded reformation of schedules taking income generating schemes CPK (Cost per kilometer) and EFK (Earn for kilometer) into consideration.