📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Arjunaraoc
Politics
AP RTC unions reject private operation of 1,450 electric buses
✍️ The New Indian Express
🗓 19 Sep 2026, 09:16 AM
👁 16
Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation unions have voiced strong opposition to a proposal that would hand over the operation of 1,450 electric buses to private firms.
The unions representing staff of the Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (APRTC) have publicly rejected a government plan to outsource the running of 1,450 electric buses to private operators. In a statement issued on Monday, the unions said the move could jeopardise job security, wage structures and the quality of service for commuters.
According to the proposal, private companies would manage day‑to‑day operations, maintenance and revenue collection for the electric fleet, while the state would retain ownership of the vehicles. Union leaders argue that such a model undermines the public‑sector ethos of the APRTC and could lead to higher fares.
The APRTC, which has been expanding its electric bus network under the state’s green‑mobility drive, has not yet responded to requests for comment. The dispute adds another layer of tension to ongoing debates about the role of private participation in India’s public transport sector.
Labor representatives have called for a review of the policy in the state legislature and have urged the government to consider alternative models that protect employee rights while still advancing the electric‑bus agenda.
According to the proposal, private companies would manage day‑to‑day operations, maintenance and revenue collection for the electric fleet, while the state would retain ownership of the vehicles. Union leaders argue that such a model undermines the public‑sector ethos of the APRTC and could lead to higher fares.
The APRTC, which has been expanding its electric bus network under the state’s green‑mobility drive, has not yet responded to requests for comment. The dispute adds another layer of tension to ongoing debates about the role of private participation in India’s public transport sector.
Labor representatives have called for a review of the policy in the state legislature and have urged the government to consider alternative models that protect employee rights while still advancing the electric‑bus agenda.