RTC services remains unaffected by diesel shortage in AP

Vijayawada: Despite the acute shortage of fuel, particularly diesel, across Andhra Pradesh, the AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) has remained largely unaffected, with uninterrupted diesel supplies ensuring zero service cancellations and all operations continuing as per schedule."RTC requires 7.5 lakh litres of diesel per day for its regular operations of around 11,000 buses, including hired buses in its fleet. The oil marketing companies (OMCs) have assured the transport corporation of uninterrupted diesel supply, given that RTC is a public transport provider and a priority sector, transporting lakhs of passengers across the state," APSRTC executive director (engineering) Ravi Varma told TOI.Elaborating further, Ravi Varma said, "RTC refuels all its buses at its 129 bus depots across the state. Each depot has two underground fuel tanks, with capacities of 20 kilolitres and 22 kilolitres, respectively, totalling around 40-42 kilolitres. This capacity would last for at least three days."He further informed that there is no shortage of diesel and petrol supplies at the 11 retail outlets owned by APSRTC across the state. He added that RTC operates fuel retail outlets at Kanigiri, Nuzividu, Uravakonda and other locations across the state.