Gadwal: Residents of Pedda Tandrapadu village in Rajoli Mandal submitted a petition to RTC Traffic Inspector Srinivas Shetty at the Gadwal RTC Depot on Monday, urging the reintroduction of bus service from Shantinagar to Pedda Tandrapadu. The villagers expressed their grievances, stating that prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, a regular bus ser-vice operated along this route. However, even after the lockdown was lifted, the service was discontin-ued, causing significant hardships for residents of Pedda Tandrapadu and surrounding villages such as Konkal, Mundladinne, and Tummilla.

The absence of the bus service has especially affected students, women, and daily commuters who rely on public transport. During the meeting, the villagers pleaded with the Traffic Inspector to restore the bus service, highlighting the critical need for transportation in the area.

Responding to the petition, RTC Traffic Inspector Srinivas Shetty explained that the Gadwal RTC Depot urgently requires 29 additional buses to meet the demands of various routes. He assured the villagers that the matter has been brought to the government’s attention and added that unless the depot re-ceives the required buses, he could not provide a concrete assurance regarding the resumption of the service. The petition was submitted by residents including Thimmoti, Ravi, Dev Varam, and Esepu.