Hyderabad, June 17: The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) is making arrangements to issue free bus passes to students on the doorstep of colleges. Passes will be issued in colleges located in the town on June 18, 19, 20 and 22, and in Cheepurupalli and Gajapathingaram regions on June 23, 24 and 25. Special teams were drafted for the purpose, said T.V.S. Sudhakar, Vizianagaram Depot Manager, at a press conference on Tuesday.
He said that the facility would be extended in colleges where the strength of students was 50 or more. Service charge of Rs. 10 would be collected from each student at the college itself, he said. This was being done to avoid crowding at the RTC Complex. College students would be allowed to travel within 35 km radius, high school students 25 km and those below 12 years within 20 km using their pass.
Orange colour ID cards for college and high school students and violet colour ID cards for schoolchildren would be issued on payment of Rs. 13.
Sale of forms
Stating that the corporation extended the facility in 2008-09 to 14,130 students (4,051 free bus passes and 10,079 on concession), Mr. Sudhakar said that applications for bus passes were on sale. He was expecting that the number of free bus pass seekers would increase this year. The passes would be issued through this depot to students from Vizianagaram, Jami, Gantyada, Denkada, Poosapatirega, Nellimarla, Bhogapuram, Gurla, Garividi, Cheepurupalli, Merakamudidam, Bondapalli, Gajapathingaram, Mentada and Dattirajeru mandals.
-Agencies