VIJAYAWADA: Many private bus operators in the state of Andhra Pradesh have decided to stop services from Saturday, owing to the rise in COVID-19 cases and the 50 per cent seating capacity restriction rule imposed by the government.

As many as 880 private travels buses have been suspended in the state since Saturday after the management associations of private bus operators took the decision to stall services.

Apart from the night curfew and restrictions imposed by the Government which allows buses to run with only 50 per cent seat capacity, people in the state have drastically cut down on travelling and this has had its impact on the private travels buses as well. The private travel bus operators have informed the Transport Department in advance that they will stop plying buses on their own from Saturday.

The Department of Transport has collected old taxes on these buses. Transport officials say that by informing them in advance about not plying buses, the private bus operators can get a tax exemption for the off-season which would reduce the burden on the operators who are in severe losses ever since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in April last year.

Services to Bengaluru, Bellary and other places were also stopped earlier due to the lockdown imposed in Karnataka. Operators are running few buses in routes where there is a high demand of buses needed by commuters.

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