The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) has promised to address the concerns of rental bus owners. They have agreed to form a committee to resolve the issues raised by the bus owners. The main problem for the bus owners is the overcrowding caused by the Maha Lakshmi scheme, which has led to mileage issues, insurance coverage problems, and financial losses.
During a meeting at Bus Bhavan, the bus owners expressed their concerns to the corporation. The Telangana Rented Bus Owners Welfare Association stated that the free bus service for women has resulted in overcrowded buses and possible mileage problems. They also mentioned that fuel consumption has increased due to the extra weight and they are worried about insurance coverage. They fear that if accidents occur and the bus limits are exceeded, they will suffer significant financial losses because of insufficient coverage. They also highlighted the losses they have incurred and how it has affected their monthly payments.
The rental bus owners informed TSRTC about these issues and received a positive response. TSRTC has committed to resolving the problems by January 10, and as a result, the strike has been called off.
TSRTC Managing Director, VC Sajjanar, assured the bus owners that all the problems would be resolved within a week and requested them to cancel the strike that was planned for January 5.
According to Sajjanar, a high-level committee will be formed as per the directions of Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar. This committee will examine all aspects of the issue from a scientific perspective. The decision-making process will involve analyzing data on buses and hiring them. The bus owners have responded positively to this announcement.
The bus owners have agreed to continue running their rental buses as usual from Friday onwards and have confirmed that there will be no strike.
The TSRTC MD also announced that the free bus service for women will be available during Sankranti, and special services will be deployed to accommodate the festive rush.
RTC officials explained that, on average, 27 lakh women are using the Maha Lakshmi scheme, and around Rs 10 crore worth of zero tickets are being issued every day.
