Andhra Pradesh - Tirupati   

Brahmotsavams: RTC to ply a bus a minute

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUPATI, SEPT. 13. The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation's Tirupati region is to run a bus a minute to Tirumala to meet the inflow of devotees for the nine-day Brahmotsavams starting September 16.

It will operate 1,383 trips a day on the ghat by pressing 321 buses into service. By this, it aims to transport 70,000 passengers a day from Tirupati to Tirumala and vice versa. Against the 5.64 lakh in 2002, the RTC could only transport 5.59 lakh passengers to Tirumala in 2003, said to be due to the Alipiri landmine blast. This year, the authorities expect the figure to touch 6.5 lakh.

Safety measures

To ensure safe travel on the ghat roads, safety instructors clad in radium dresses would be posted at all hairpin bends. The facility would be particularly useful on `Garuda seva', the fifth day of the festival, when droves of vehicles are expected to motor up the ghat road.

This apart, four cranes will be made available at Tirumala, link road, ninth mile point and Alipiri for emergencies. Timekeepers will be positioned round the clock at Alipiri tollgate to monitor the running time of 40 minutes.

The RTC has already handpicked buses in good condition and experienced drivers to be used on the Tirumala route, declaring them 'Ghat eligible'

Advance tickets

According to the regional manager, S. Nagaraju, advance ticket booking through agents has been introduced at Srinivasam complex, TTD third choultry, Leela Mahal circle, Kapila Theertham and Alipiri footpath and AT cottage, Narayanagiri, Medaramitta and Ram Bageecha. He cautioned the public that jeep travel on the ghat road was highly unsafe, citing the recent mishaps involving private jeeps.

A feedback card would also be distributed to the commuters at random to elicit their opinion on the driver's condition and driving habits The RTC will also run 95 buses from major locations in Tamil Nadu such as Chennai, Pondicherry, Coimbatore, Salem, Kanchi, Dindivanam, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Villupuram, Gudiyatham, Krishnagiri and Pernambat.

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