RTC to introduce bus services in Guntur city

A city bus depot will be started on five acres of land in Pedakakani adjacent to Guntur to park 60 buses sanctioned under JNNURM. The new capital Tullur is 36 kms to 45 kms on various routes. Hence, the APSRTC is planning to start services to the new capital.

Guntur district was formed on Oct. 1, 1904 as Guntur district headquarter and later the municipality was upgraded into municipal corporation. The city has emerged as an important commercial centre. But sadly, Guntur was barred from APSRTC city bus services despite several agitations by Communist parties and other organisations. Nearly one lakh people out of a total population of eight lakh in the city travel per day but not many buses cater to local transport needs.

Nearly 120 private buses of which a majority are mini buses are operating services from the bus-stand to various areas of the city including the outskirts. Besides this, people are forced to travel in tiny spaces in autorickshaws paying huge fares.

There are allegations that private city buses belong to various political leaders and hence no one is interested in nationalising city bus services.

But now things are set to change, in view of the new capital, as APSRTC has found four acres of land in adjacent Pedakakani for the city bus depot.

Last year 60 buses were sanctioned for Guntur but later due to the bifurcation process, the sanction was not converted to realty. Now with Tullur as the new capital and traffic to this village increasing the APSRTC is planning to introduce city services to various areas.

A commuter, B. Venugopal said that there are city buses to Tullur, Amaravati and villages of capital region from Vijayawada but the same was absent from Guntur hence APSRTC should introduce city services to the new capital.

APSRTC regional manager P.V. Rama Rao said that department submitted reports about the available land in Pedakakani and are waiting for orders to start the city depot to start city services