Gadwal: Students protest in Parthipuram as TGRTC buses refuse boarding amid rush

Students protested in Parthipuram after TGRTC buses refused boarding due to overcrowding. Parents raised concerns over reduced free bus services on the Kurnool-Raichur route, affecting students, women farmers, and daily wage labourers. RTC urged to increase buses on the route.

Jogulamba Gadwal: In sharp contrast to the Congress government’s claims that the free bus travel scheme was making things convenient for women, many, particularly students are facing several issues as TGRTC staff is not permitting them to board the buses, citing heavy rush.

This is what happened at Parthipuram here on Friday. Several school and college girls squatted on the road as the TGRTC drivers did not stop the buses to enable the students reach Ieeja.

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In protest against the TGRTC staff attitude, the students, majority of whom are from government schools and colleges, raised slogans against the government and corporation.

Tension prevailed for a while at the village in the morning after a couple of KSRTC buses passed by very close to the students, who were squatting on the road in protest.

Irked over the drivers’ attitude, parents of a few students chased the KSRTC buses and fumed at the drivers. As the situation was turning tense, the police reached the spot and tried to bring the situation under control.

Interestingly, the police wanted the students to stop the protest but they did not relent. The students complained that daily many had to travel Ieeja from Parthipuram covering four kms to reach their schools and colleges. But the TGRTC bus drivers do not stop the buses stating that all seats were occupied, the students said.

“If we miss the bus, we have to walk four kms to reach the college. During peak hours all the seats are occupied and we are forced to stand all the way to the college. RTC officers should operate more buses on the route,” students demanded.

The students’ parents also complained that the number of free buses on the Kurnool- Raichur route has been cut down considerably. Many farmers, especially women, board buses to sell chillies, cotton and onions in Kurnool or Raichur. This apart, many daily wage labourers, who earlier used to travel in autos, were also boarding the buses as it was free. As a result, the buses were packed to the brim and RTC drivers were not stopping the buses, the parents fumed.