13 hours ago
RTC to transport devotees for free in Tirumala
Tirumala: TTD additional EO Ch Venkaiah Chowdary informed that APSRTC buses have been made available to ply within Tirumala transporting devotees free of cost.
After flagging off the free RTC bus trips at Ashwini Hospital Circle in Tirumala on Thursday morning, he said that to prevent the high fares charged by private vehicles from devotees and to control pollution in Tirumala, TTD asked APSRTC to operate buses.
The RTC officials responded positively and came forward to operate buses.
He also said that these buses ply along the route of TTD-run Srivari Dharma Rathas in Tirumala and transport devotees from one area to another for free.
Adding further he said, already TTD is plying 300 trips daily in Tirumala through Srivari Dharma Rathams. With the addition of RTC buses, an additional 80 trips have been made possible, he observed.
He said that with the availability of free buses from every eight minutes has now come down to every two minutes, thereby strengthening the public transport system.
The additional EO also said that it will be convenient for the devotees to go directly to Tirupati by boarding these RTC buses in various parts of Tirumala without coming to the bus stand and paying any additional charges except the Tirumala-Tirupati en route fare.
APS RTC executive director Paidi Chandrasekhar, TTD transport GM Sesha Reddy, deputy EO Lokanatham, Tirupati district public transport officer Venkata Rao, deputy CTM Vishwanath, deputy CME, Balaji, Alipiri depot manager Srihari, DI Tirumala Venkatadri Naidu and other officers participated.
