With the Pongal festival rush expected to peak over the coming days, the Andhra Pradesh State Transport Department on Thursday conducted a comprehensive review of public transport arrangements, with a focus on strengthening Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) services to meet surging passenger demand. Senior APSRTC officials, including Executive Directors Brahmananda Reddy, Appala Raju and Ravindra Varma, called on Transport, Youth and Sports Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy at his chamber in the Amaravati Secretariat. The meeting was followed by a detailed review of festival-time transport operations and contingency planning.

During the interaction, APSRTC officials briefed the Minister on the corporation’s current operational status, route planning, fleet availability and passenger service measures being put in place for the Pongal season. They informed him that demand for buses is traditionally high during the festival period, particularly on routes connecting cities with rural and semi-urban areas, as families travel in large numbers to their native places. The Minister directed officials to ensure that there are no disruptions during peak travel days and asked APSRTC to deploy additional special services on high-density routes. To bridge the gap between demand and available fleet strength, officials said the corporation is planning to hire buses on a rental basis from private operators, a practice adopted during earlier festive seasons as well. These rented buses will be operated under APSRTC supervision to ensure adherence to safety and service standards.

Special attention will be paid to passenger safety, punctuality and crowd management at major bus stations. The Minister also instructed officials to ensure adequate staffing at depots, round-the-clock monitoring of operations, and quick redressal of passenger grievances during the festive rush. “Public transport plays a crucial role during festivals. APSRTC must inspire confidence among passengers by providing safe, reliable and comfortable services,” Ramprasad Reddy said, reiterating the government’s commitment to strengthening the transport system in the public interest. Officials also reviewed fuel availability, maintenance readiness, and coordination with the police and district administrations to manage traffic and passenger flow during the Pongal holidays. The Transport Department said the final schedule of special services would be announced shortly, advising passengers to plan their travel in advance.