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Hyderabad: Despite 17 lakh rise in passenger footfall daily, Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) is yet to augment its fleet. The corporation has been operating 9,384 buses for the past few years.
In 2022, the daily ridership was 43 lakh passengers. However, even after three years, RTC is operating the same fleet despite passenger volumes increasing to 60 lakh, nearly 40% increase.
Data from TSRTC indicates that when the free bus travel scheme for women commenced in Dec 2023, around 27 lakh women passengers travelled daily. Now, this figure has escalated to 35 lakh, while an additional 25 lakh comprise general passengers, including both male and female travellers who purchase tickets for super luxury, Rajdhani, and other buses excluded from the free bus travel.
The surge in passenger numbers coupled with insufficient services has become a concern for students travelling on several high-traffic routes in Hyderabad. During rush hours, particularly between 8 am and 10am and 4pm and 6pm, buses are running beyond capacity. Secunderabad, Uppal, Kukatpally, Ibrahimpatnam and Mehdipatnam bus stations witness huge rush all through the day.
“The daily commute to college in RTC buses has been challenging, as securing even a standing spot proves difficult. The scarcity of buses makes it impossible to find a seat during the journey. The waiting time at bus stops during rush hours extends from 15 to 20 minutes, often resulting in late arrivals at college. RTC must increase the number of buses and enhance the service frequency to address these issues,” Manjor Kumar, a B Tech student waiting for a bus at Bowenpally, told TOI.
Passengers also urged RTC to enhance its bus frequency during peak hours to serve students and office-goers effectively. “The time gap between buses should be shortened to avoid congestion. Moreover, RTC ought to purchase new vehicles, since many buses are aged and deliver uncomfortable journeys to commuters,” G Vignesh, a passenger at Uppal bus stop, said.
On the other hand, the state govt is providing 12 crore to RTC as reimbursement for the women’s free travel scheme. So far, the govt has released 4,500 crore to TGRSTC towards the free bus scheme.
“We will expand RTC operations by adding over 1,000 new buses. During the preceding three-year period, the corporation had modernised the fleet by replacing over 3,000 ageing vehicles with new ones, ensuring comfortable journeys for commuters,” a senior TGSRTC official said.