APSRTC (undivided) celebrated 75 years of its formation in 2006. The Corporation then carried out a massive Re-Branding exercise across the classes of services it was offering. Of the lot , PalleVelugu was the most appreciated service as it was the first time after so many attempts at branding entry level no frill service succeeded . Corporation had earlier tried branding them new age ordinary and Gramini for sometime. The new PalleVelugu which means " light of village " was a well thought and apt name. The green and white livery signified agrarian economy of undivided rural AndhraPradesh.
Just when the state was getting divided (re organized) , Hyderabad had a sudden induction of BSIV buses in to the fleet. Also 3rd generation non JnNURM metros were getting re-built. The re built metros and ordinaries sported a new look with a nice graphic. This time corporation made sure there was no clutter and kept the graphics same and just changed the colors for services . Red meant Ordinary and Blue meant Express. So, when the news of new Metro Delux buses getting built came out, we were excited . We expected them to have same graphics but with a different color. The day the first bus rolled in, We were surprised ! the bus had similar graphics in green but wait, It also had streaks of Pink on it. It is not that Hyderabad never had pink buses, the one off City Sheetal which marked the end of JnNURM one sanctions for the city and first generation middle door metros were in pink.
Surprise in Pink ! new Metro Deluxe
Pink on buses this time had a different reason . We will not get specific about that reason. But, for readers who have very less knowledge about political parties in Telangana and AndhraPradesh, TelanganaRashtraSamiti (TRS) which is the ruling party in Telangana uses Pink the most. It's counterpart TeluguDesamParty (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh uses Yellow.
TRS might have thought okay we have painted Deluxes in our color so what is next in line.. When the first set of Metro Luxuries arrived in town, we expeted them to have some sort of pink even before we could get pictures. They obviously had pink on them, if you observe closely few have pale pink and few have a darker shade.At that moment I was trying hard to believe there was no pressure on the corporation to paint them in TRS s favorite color.
Death of classic PalleVelugu livery
AndhraPradesh might have thought left behind in the race, it played catch up by painting all new services in same graphics. Green and Maroon streaks on Bright yellow. Oh! this also marked the end of brand name PalleVelugu in AndhraPradesh. The entry level service was named Telugu Velugu . This was touted as pride of Telugu speaking people in a newly re organized state . Seriously ? we thought that was their party's slogan. Any way sense prevailed later when the transport minsiter was visibly disappointed over the choice of representing the colors as it was reported. The corporation then went on a design spree and churned out quick half cooked graphics for all services. All services now had little streaks of yellow barring TeluguVelugu which had a significant amount of yellow on it.
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Respite in subtle expression! New Super Luxury
Both states do not seem to be stopping this spree of painting buses in their favorite colors. New Metro Express buses for small towns in AndhraPradesh and Garuda Plus for Telangana have colors of parties in power integrated in to the graphics.
no end for our obsession - TSRTC s Garuda Plus
TDP had earlier resorted to such dirty representation when it got the corporation paint Veera buses which replaced Metro Liners in yellow. Congress , right after coming in to power made sure it got rid of the Yellows. Should the corporation be left at the mercy of whims and fancies of state to impose the aspirations of parties in power . is the corporation not autonomous.
Should the corporation stand against increasing interference of governments in its operations ? Does it have the guts to do it or will the state governments continue to rub their aspirations on the corporation. Let us wait and see what transpires over time.
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