Border residents bear the brunt due to lack of RTC buses to Tamil Nadu 

CHITTOOR/NELLORE: As APSRTC has still not resumed bus services to Tamil Nadu, passengers from Chittoor and Nellore districts find travelling to the neighbouring State a nightmarish experience. Compared to the normal fare, private bus operators charge double the fare from passengers  in the absence of RTC services. In fact, the APSRTC plies bus services only up to the AP-TN border villages from Nellore and Chittoor. Most people from AP and Tamil Nadu reside in Tada and Sullurpeta mandals of Nellore district since the villages are located on AP-TN border. Their first destination for any need, be it for medicines, vegetables among others, is Chennai. This has been the practice for many decades. 

 “We usually travel by APRTC buses up to Chennai. But now we are forced to board private buses and cough up an additional `30. Buses are filled to the capacity without maintaining safety protocol,” KV Sudhakar, a resident of Tada mandal, said. “We are forced to rely on private buses and they collect double fare to Tamil Nadu. Even auto-rickshaws collect between `20 and `30, as per demand. 

K Siva Kumar, a resident of Nagari mandal said. Sometimes when the demand is more, the private operators are known to collect from`200 to `250 from Tirupati to Chennai as against `160 during normal days. The situation is similar in the border villages of Chittoor district such as Palamaner, V Kota and Brahmasamudram, Mukalacheruvu, Nagari, Madanapalle, BN Kandriga, Varadaiahpalem, Nagalapuram and Satyavedu. Normally, people from the border villages import/export essentials and vegetables from Tamil Nadu to Chittoor. For any medical emergency,  people of both States proceed to Christian Medical College at Vellore. Gudiyattam and Vellore roads are used frequently by people from both the State.