Hyderabad: Crammed commuting continues to be a nightmare for city students

Hyderabad: Traversing to schools and colleges has become a nightmare for thousands of students who regularly commute in the State-run Telangana State Road Transport Corporation buses. Such is the level of overcrowding that it has become a common sight to find girl students foot boarding up at front. Students allege that the corporation is operating fewer buses on several busy stretches but has provided a special facility for IT sector employees. They urge the corporation to at least ply additional minibuses during peak hours.

With many educational institutions situated in peripheral areas, students commuting from the City are the worst affected. Many of them have said that the RTC is operating a far fewer number of buses on the City's outskirts, forcing them to wait for hours to catch a bus, especially those who are heading towards Moinabad, Ibrahimpatnam, Vikarabad, Shamshabad, Kukatpally, Medchal and other suburban areas.

The Telangana Parents Association for Child Rights and Safety (TPACRS) state that the corporation has to resolve the issues at the earliest as thousands of students are facing difficulties in commuting through RTC buses. "The corporation has provided bus services in the IT corridor for tech employees, which plys from places far-away, but has failed to provide buses for students on their institution routes. TSRTC must increase the frequency of buses for students," said TPACRS president Asif Hussain Sohail.

He added, "The IT sector has their own pick-up and drop facility for their employees, and the corporation is providing them an additional special facility, but on the other hand, students are forced to travel in overcrowded buses due to its lower frequency in the City and its boundaries".

Students have said that they have been facing problems in the morning and as well as in the evening and have no other means of transportation than commuting in RTC buses. "I am forced to wait for the bus for at least half-an-hour to an hour on a daily basis. The lower frequency of buses is forcing us to footboard overcrowded buses and many-a-times we suffer injuries in the melee. It would be better if TSRTC increases the frequency of the buses or at least the minibuses for students," said Pooja Adke, a student, who travels from Uppal to Koti.

Shaik Rameez, another student who commutes from Ibrahimpatnam to Chandrayangutta said, "We are forced to footboard, including girls, by hanging loosely in these overcrowded buses. If we miss the bus, we will have to wait for at least 30 minutes for another bus," he added. Institutions and students have sent several representations to the corporation but all fell on deaf ears.

Asif Hussain also stated that he appreciates the steps taken by the corporation for students, as the Greater Hyderabad bus pass is allowed on Palle Velugu and Express services. "But we urge the corporation to ply additional buses in the City as well as in the outskirts for students. A majority of buses running on City roads are overcrowded and people are seen dangerously foot boarding and hanging."