The APSRTC has been losing passengers to the private buses and other vehicles at Varadhi passenger halting point on the National Highway in Vijayawada city on Krishna River banks.
Private buses, cars, autorickshaws and even lorries have been picking up the passengers from the Varadhi point. The passengers going towards Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, and the four districts of Rayalaseema apart from Bengaluru, Chennai and other areas in both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have been boarding from the Varadhi point in the city.
Particularly, the passenger rush is very high towards Guntur, Tenali, Mangalagiri and other areas in Guntur district from Vijayawada. In fact, the Varadhi point is as crucial as the PN Bus Station for those who going towards Rayala-seema, Bengaluru and Channai via Guntur from Vijayawada, accepted deputy chief traffic manager A. John Sukumar.
The private buses, cars, autorickshaws and other vehicles have been taking advantage at the cost of APSRTC buses at this point, observed Mr M. Pavan Kumar, an employee in the social welfare department in Guntur.
The APSRTC has been running more than 50 buses between Vijayawada and Guntur and Vijayawada and Tenali routes, despite having huge passenger demand.
News : Deccan Chronicle , Photo : Rishabh Chatterjee