Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy has said that women in the State will be allowed to travel free of cost in air-conditioned buses in the days to come.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a press conference he addressed on Monday, the Minister said the APSRTC plans to procure only electric buses in its fleet, which, therefore, will be air-conditioned vehicles, in which women would be eligible to travel as part of the Stree Shakti scheme without paying a fare.

He said the government had prepared a comprehensive action plan to make 2026–27 a milestone year for technology, sustainability and expansion of public services in the transport sector. The key objectives included achieving 100% digital services in the Transport Department, fully operationalising all Automated Driving Testing Centres, further improving road safety standards, increasing departmental revenue, phased induction of 5,120 electric buses into the APSRTC, initiating procurement of CNG buses, expanding bus services to rural areas, implementing a 100% digital ticketing system and increasing passenger satisfaction to 98%.

Mr. Reddy said the government’s ultimate goal was to further strengthen the APSRTC as India’s most modern, safe and environment-friendly public transport system.

Special Chief Secretary, Trasnport Department, M.T. Krishna Babu clarified that employees and labour unions need not have any misconceptions regarding the introduction of electric buses.

He said the government’s objective was to strengthen APSRTC and that there was absolutely no intention to privatise the organisation. Electric buses represent a new generation of public transport requiring specialised skills, modern charging infrastructure and advanced technical expertise, he said, explaining that in line with the Central government policies, many States across India were implementing the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model, and the Central government was also supplying electric buses through common tenders under the same framework.

RTC to retain major services

He said under this model ownership rights and passenger services remain under the APSRTC, drivers continue to be managed by the Corporation, and scheduling, revenue management and operational supervision too remains under the APSRTC. He said private partners will only handle limited responsibilities such as technical maintenance, maintenance support and charging infrastructure management.

He clarified that no depot, asset or job will be privatised. During the initial phase, maintenance will be carried out with support from manufacturing companies. Simultaneously, APSRTC drivers, mechanics and technical staff will receive specialised training to acquire complete expertise in electric vehicle maintenance. “The long-term goal is to make APSRTC fully self-reliant in managing these services,” he said.

He assured employees that the introduction of electric buses would not affect their rights, job security or service benefits. Existing drivers, conductors and other staff will receive specialised training to adapt to new technologies and enhance their skills.