Concern raised over shortage of RTC buses in Dharmavaram for rural students

Shortage of buses in Mudigubba, Mulakalacheruvu, and Kadiri mandals in Sri Sathya Sai district has left the school and college students with no option but to resort to footboard travel, leading to concern among parents and villagers.

Close to 300 students travel in APSRTC buses in Nidigallu, Peddakotla, and Chillakondayapalli routes under the Dharmavaram depot. Though the depot had reserved 10 regular services on the routes, only one service is being operated during the peak hours when the students travel the most. As a result, the situation often leads to overcrowded rides, with students of various schools and colleges packed inside and ejecting out onto the footboards.

Several parents, who blamed the official negligence, approached the depot managers and the APSRTC union leaders locally to end the crisis and initiate steps to increase the bus services. “It’s a welcome feature that the government has launched the Stree Shakti for women to avail free travel in APSRTC buses. However, at the same time, the government should consider the safety and convenience of the students from rural areas, who mostly commute in buses. Footboard travel and packed situation inside the buses is not only dangerous, but also embarrassing to girl students,” said Narasingappa, a farmer from Mudigubba mandal.

Meanwhile, the crew of RTC buses said that whenever the issue of students’ plight was raised they were doing their best to adjust the commuters, besides being extra cautious on the rural routes. “In the coming months, the tough situation might diffuse, and the authorities would definitely weigh the pros and cons due to the shortage of fleet,” said a bus driver of the Dharmavaram depot.