AMARAVATI: The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) has increased the diesel cess to offset losses as the diesel prices have increased. With the steep increase in diesel price, the RTC is facing an additional burden of Rs 2.50 crore per day, APSRTC chairman A. Mallikarjuna Reddy and Managing Director Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao said in a statement on Thursday.

The additional diesel cess will come into effect from Friday (July 1) and ranging from Rs 5 to Rs 60 per passenger, on various bus services.

-City bus services in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam have been spared from the extra levy.

-However, student bus passes will become dearer.

-For the first 35 km in rural Palle Velugu services, there would be no additional cess.

- In long-distance luxury services too additional cess would be levied only after 55 km.

-Accordingly, each passenger traveling to Hyderabad from Vijayawada will have to pay an additional Rs 60 and to Visakhapatnam Rs 80.

" APSRTC suffered a revenue loss of Rs 5,680 crore in the last two years because of Covid-19. We are enhancing the diesel cess only under inevitable circumstances due to the rising price of fuel. This is not a burden on the passengers but only on diesel,” they justified. Further, prices of spare parts, lubricants, and other expenses have also gone up, forcing the management to hike the cess, they said, urging the traveling public to cooperate with the APSRTC. The additional diesel cess could help the corporation garner an extra revenue of Rs 1,500 crore per annum.

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