TVs in RTC buses soon: Botsa

Apart from the Racha Banda for weaker sections, the N Kiran Kumar Reddy government has also turned to providing amenities to the commuters particularly to the urban citizens.

Shortly passengers will have the benefit of watching television while they travel in the Road Transport Corporation buses also.

As part of this initiative, LCD TV sets will be installed in 2200 buses. Over 200 new modern bus shelters with sitting accommodation for passengers in the city, 30 to 40 in the old city will come up shortly at suitable places without causing disturbance to the traffic flow.

The existing 100 bus shelters as per suggestions from RTC and traffic police will be shifted.

In all over 1000 bus stands will be in place by this month ending.

The RTC accrues an advertisement revenue of Rs 5 crore annually and the face-lift expenditure will be met from that, according to the minister for transport Botsa Satyanarayana, who had a review meeting with the officials of RTC, traffic police and GHMC to study the modalities for bringing in certain revolutionary changes for the convenience of the traveling public.

The Minister is expected to make surprise visits to ensure coordination among the departments involved in the programme. The RTC will also compete with the private carriers who have thus far monopolised goods transportation etc.

Now RTC cargo service will come into effect shortly to minimise the burden of  cost imposed by private operators, the Minister revealed.

Over 1000 old buses taken from 6000 buses in operation for passengers will take cargo service. Once the CNG pipelines are in place, the RTC will go for operation on CNG to reduce pollution levels.

The corporation will also start driving schools to take up training to facilitate issue of driving licenses. Driving tracks will be earmarked for this purpose as the demand for it was increasing on the RTA.

Following Supreme Court direction to the Centre for high security number plates, the RTC is coming up with another proposal to supply number plates at low cost to all the vehicles 2,3 and four wheelers.

As many as 46 centres will be functional to meet this demand.

At the Cabinet Sub-Committee meeting on Feb 11, the Transport Minister is expected to take up the budget for RTC.

Mr Satyanarayana was of the opinion that the changes will usher in a sense of security among the staff and step up confidence among the bus commuters.

Principal Transport Secretary Dinesh Kumar, RTC MD Prasada Rao, Transport Commissioner Premachandra Reddy, Additional Commissioner (Traffic) C V Anand and GHMC Additional Commissioner Dhananjaya Reddy were present at the meeting.