In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the buses belonging to the fleet of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) have remained off the road to facilitate strict implementation of the lockdown.
Now, some of these buses have been brought out of the depots and given a makeover. A few have been converted into mobile rythu bazars (farmers’markets) and a few others, into mobile super markets, taking vegetables and groceries to the doorsteps of the residents in areas identified as red zones.
The public transport carrier is rising to the occasion in this hour of crisis by deploying its vehicles for different services in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Tirupati. “RTC buses are being used to shift people from quarantine centres, as mobile rythu bazaars and super markets and also to cater to the transport needs of the employees of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), whose duties change every week,” says the corporation’s Executive Director (Operations) K.S. Brahmananda Reddy. From March 22, the RTC has pressed into service 400-odd vehicles to assist in the relief works in progress in the wake of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.
Besides, services of the APSRTC staff (now shifted to the Public Transport Department) are also being used in the relief works undertaken by the law enforcement wing across the State. The RTC conductors, drivers, maintenance staff and at some place, the supervisors, have joined the foot soldiers reaching out to the poor and needy with help.
Employees above 50 years of age and women staff have, however, been exempted from the COVID-19 duties.
“We are here to serve the government in every possible way in these testing times. Any requisition will have to come from the government for us to respond immediately,” says Mr. Reddy, explaining how the corporation has been turning down requests from private organisations and persons for help to shift groups of people from one place to the other.