The drastic impact of demonetisation has badly hit the state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) as its plan to encash Sankranti festival rush with special services backfired. Only after festival, RTC officials realised that demonetisation has led to drastic dip in holiday plans of people in festive season.
Normally, every year lakhs of people from Hyderabad travels to their native places in twin Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts. To meet the rush, it is normal practice for RTC to run special bus services, with 50 per cent more than normal charge. Last year, during Sankranti season, APSRTC netted a revenue of Rs 13 crore by operating 2,269 special buses.
Likewise, this year also RTC officials proposed to operate 2,510 special buses to clear the passenger rush and set a revenue target of Rs 15 crore. But in reality most of the services operated to longer distances witnessed low passenger rush causing Rs 5 crore dip in its revenues.
Already, in post demonetisation, the APSRTC had incurred a loss of Rs 17 crore and now Rs 5 crore dip in revenue during the Sankranti festive season added to the woes of the corporation.
According to RTC officials, this year, the corporation operated only 1,714 special buses from Hyderabad against the earlier announcement of 2,510 special buses. Special buses were operated to Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupati, Kurnool, Rajamahendravaram, Amalapuram, Nellore, Bengaluru and Chennai for a week from Jan 6 to 13.
The corporation has managed to operate only 307 special bus services to twin Godavari districts against the demand of 465 services. Only 300 special bus services were operated to Vijayawada against the announcement of 595 services.
