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The Road Transport Authority (RTA) Visakhapatnam region has registered around 75 cases against private (tourist) buses and seized some buses plying without an All India Tourist Permit in the region’s limits. The cases were registered on the orders of the AP State Road Transport Authority. A total fine of ₹18 lakh was imposed on the operators of these buses. Speaking to The Hindu, RTA Visakhapatnam in-charge Deputy Transport Commissioner R.Ch. Srinivasa Rao said: “We have been conducting raids since October 13. We intensified our checks after a major bus accident in Rajasthan on October 14 and in Kurnool on October 24. The raids will continue. On Saturday alone, 15 cases were registered.” Mr. Rao said people should also be aware of the safety of travelling in such buses. Sunkari Mohan, a passenger at the Dwarkanagar RTC bus station on Saturday, said: “Whenever a confirmed/reserved ticket is not available for night travel on trains, people opt for private buses. People always give first priority to trains, then RTC and finally private busest. So they are aware of safety. It is the government’s responsibility to provide proper transport facility to the public.” Sources said there is a demand for buses from Visakhapatnam to Hyderabad, Tirupati, Chennai and Bengaluru. RTC does not run buses to Bengaluru and Chennai. The Hyderabad services currently run by RTC are not as sophisticated as the tourist buses of private operators. The Railways should also run a night Vande Bharat train to destinations such as Hyderabad, Tirupati, Bengaluru and Chennai from Visakhapatnam railway station to prevent passengers from opting for private buses for night journeys. “We have stopped our services to Bengaluru and Chennai. Currently, we are running two AC buses and three non-AC buses to Hyderabad daily,” APSRTC regional manager B. Appala Naidu told The Hindu on Saturday. When contacted, railway sources in the Waltair railway division said: “Efforts are being made to run sleeper class Vande Bharat trains from Visakhapatnam to Bengaluru, Chennai, Tirupati and Hyderabad at night. Sleeper coaches will have to be made available for this facility first. The last train to Hyderabad from Visakhapatnam station is the LTT Lokmanya Tilak, which leaves at 11.45 pm. So, we may run a sleeper class Vande Bharat train between 11.30 am and 11.59 am to see if the train reaches its destination the next morning. This will take some time.”
