Tirupati RTC complex gets facelift

It is interesting to note that the crowded and shabbily looking APSRTC bus station at Thirupati turned smart with the remodelling of the passenger waiting hall and also modification of the platforms and other areas in the sprawling bus station complex. The central bus station always crowded due to constant flow of pilgrims coming from various places to Tirumala on a pilgrimage.

• Urban SP Gopinath Jatti inaugurates newly installed CCTV cameras
• Waiting hall remodelled and platforms modified with Rs 1 crore: RTC regional manager

The bus station complex located on a sprawling 12-acre land which includes four bus stations Srinivasam, Srihari, Edukondalu and local city bus stop. About 3,000 buses are being operated daily from these bus stations ferrying about 1 lakh to 1.25 lakh passengers on normal days which will go up to 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh during peak seasons like summer months and Brahmotsavams in Tirumala.

APSRTC Tirupati regional manager V Nagasivudu said that the RTC management keeping in view the prominence of the Tirupati bus station which was enhanced after the bifurcation, took up the remodelling of it with an outlay of Rs 1 crore on a priority basis. The works mainly include new and comfortable seating arrangements for waiting passengers and also erection of steel barricades for regulation of passengers for smooth boarding or alighting from buses in all the bus stations.

This apart, installation of 48 CCTV cameras was taken up by involving the shopkeepers in the various bus stations in the complex. Tirupati Urban SP Gopinath Jatti formally inaugurated the newly installed CCTV cameras on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, he said Tirupati bus station is the first in the State to get a full-fledged security cover with installation of CCTVs which will be linked to the control room in the East police station near the RTC bus station.