Hyderabad: City buses likely to hit roads in Sept last week

Hyderabad: After a gap of six months, buses are likely to ply on roads in the city in the last week of this month amid corona scare.

The authorities of the TSRTC are getting ready for operating the city buses which have been off the roads since March 22. The office-going people, small businesses men, government, private employees, traders, workers, students are eagerly awaiting the RTC city buses. They are being put to hardships and misery of deprivation of the city buses as they cannot afford for autos, private vehicles who are literally looting them.

Given low payments, half salaries for six months of Corona adverse effect, the common people are undergoing difficult times as there are no buses for a long time. As unlock 4.0 relaations by the Centre have prodded some States to restart services in May third week, district buses started in Telangana, AP and some other states. Though they are ready to offer the services, the government is yet to a take call on whether they can run the buses now or not. The RTC officials have conducted a study reportedly in other States, which began city bus services recently in spite of corona pandemic by taking measures as per protocols. The States that began the city bus services are Maharashtra, Karnatakaa and Tamil Nadu.

The TSRTC officials have got reports and a picture on restarting the city bus services in Hyderabad by taking corona protocol steps. After a review by Transport Minister Dr P Ajay Kumar the RTC officials have offered to restart the bus services in the city. On getting a nod from Chief Minister, K Chandrashekar Rao, the authorities are to start the same according to information. It is planned by the RTC officials to run only about 50 per cent of the buses in seven busy routes. These routes will connect Metro Rail stations in main thoroughfares. It is being said that the city buses will be extended to other routes on seeing the first phase of the buses and public response. There is also a talk that the RTC officials may collect double charges as occupancy is being reduced to almost half.