The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of APSRTC Employees’ Unions announced that it will launch a State-wide signature campaign among the RTC employees from July 20, 2026, as part of the second phase of its agitation. The union is demanding the strengthening of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation and the expansion of public transport services.
In a statement issued on Sunday (July 19), JAC conveners Y. Srinivasa Rao and Palisetti Damodara Rao said that the implementation of the Stree Shakti scheme has resulted in an additional 1.5 million passengers travelling by RTC buses every day. In view of the increased passenger demand, they urged the government to introduce a large number of new buses and further strengthen public transport services.
They said that during the Grievance Day, scheduled to be held on July 27, representations carrying signatures collected from RTC employees across the State would be submitted through the respective District Collectors to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, highlighting key demands aimed at protecting and strengthening APSRTC.
The demands of the union include the procurement of electric buses by the government to be operated exclusively by APSRTC, instead of being run by private operators; the immediate introduction of a large number of new buses to meet the increased passenger demand arising from the implementation of the Stree Shakti scheme; urgent steps to fill around 15,000 vacant posts in APSRTC to address the shortage of drivers, conductors, mechanical staff, supervisory personnel, and employees in other departments; adequate financial support and necessary resources from the government to strengthen the public transport system; and enabling APSRTC to function more efficiently.
The conveners said that the primary objective of the movement was to protect public interest by making APSRTC a stronger, more efficient, and more accessible public transport organisation. They said the third phase of the agitation would be announced in Vijayawada on July 30.
The JAC Co-Chairmen P.V. Ramana Reddy, G.V. Narasayya, C.H. Sundarayya, Katta Subrahmanyam, S.V. Seshagiri Rao, K. Suryaprakasa Rao and D. Malyadri appealed to all RTC employees across the State to actively participate in the movement and make the signature campaign, beginning on July 20, a grand success.
Published - July 19, 2026 07:29 pm IST