Date:14/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/14/stories/2007071453600600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

85 new buses to Tirupati

Staff Reporter

APSRTC plans to introduce more services in current financial year

TIRUPATI:Pilgrimage to the hill temple of Tirumala will no more be strenuous as APSRTC is contemplating introduction of as many as 85 new buses connecting Tirupati during the present financial year.

Among the services are two air-conditioned super luxury buses to Hyderabad, super luxury buses to Vijayawada (2) and Bangalore (6), while Chittoor and Palamaner towns will have two direct services each to the capital. Similarly, two deluxe buses each will run on Chittoor-Chennai and Chittoor-Kurnool routes.In the lower end, 31 Saptagiri express, 12 express, 22 Palle Velugu and two city services are planned to be introduced in Tirupati. In addition to the existing 32 services to Chennai city alone, it is planned to press five more buses into services this week. These apart, 75 old buses will be replaced with new ones. The RTC is already operating 144 buses to Tamil Nadu and 116 to Karnataka. After launching two services to Coimbatore and one to Kanchi on Thursday, the management is keen on introducing inter-state services in the near future to Melmaruvathur, Tiruvannamalai, Kumbakonam, Trichy, Salem, Thanjavur, Puducherry, Madurai, Chidambaram and Pernambattu, keeping in view the increasing flow of devotees from Tamil Nadu.