Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Summer rush peaks at Imliban bus station

By Suresh Krishnamoorthy

HYDERABAD April 20 . The APSRTC officials manning the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station at Imliban are operating extra services to clear the summer rush. The ongoing Bhadradri Utsav in Bhadrachalam town of Khammam district has necessitated operation of more additonal services.

Technically falling under the jurisdiction of Ranga Reddy district, the Imliban Bus Station handles about 1,200 departures in a 24-hour span. If this is so on a normal day, it goes up to 1,400 during summer and to 1,500 on weekends. The figure includes services from 213 depots all over the State and some neighbouring States like Karnataka and Maharashtra.

According to the Regional Manager, P. Narayanswamy, there are five counters for advanced reservation and eight for current reservations. "Depending upon rush, we increase the number of counters,'' he says. The Interactive Voice Response System that was installed a few months ago processes over a 100 calls a day and the number is increasing.

``We are operating about 31 extra services to key traffic destinations to handle the summer rush'', says Mr. Narayanswamy. They include Vijayawada (10), Kurnool (10), Ongole (5), two each to Srisailam and Shirdi and one each to Bangalore and Nanded in Maharashtra. The figure is doubled during second Saturdays and Sundays. The total number of services to Vijayawada is 110. It is 131 to Kurnool and 92 to Ongole.

How the officials estimate whether extra services are required or not, is itself an interesting exercise. The Assistant Traffic Managers, K.S. Sagar Krishna and S.K.V. Rangacharyulu, monitor the reservation position of the previous day and keep the Regional Manager and the Divisional Manager, M. Ravinder, apprised of the situation. There would be a review at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., every day and additional buses pressed into service, if necessary.

Currently, officials are busy with clearing the rush for Sri Rama Navami in Bhadrachalam. The Imliban and Bhadrachalam stations together are operating about 25 buses every day from Thursday. This includes services to Kothagudem and Manuguru in Khammam district which are extended up to Bhadrachalam. There are three services every day to Shirdi. This is augmented by two more because of the rush. Same is the case with the services to Srisailam.

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