Hyderabad: Low frequency of RTC buses on city outskirts rattles students

Hyderabad: With the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) plying low frequency of buses, the commuters are facing difficulties. Especially, the college students are struggling to commute to and fro from their institutions which are located on the city outskirts. Due to inadequate number of bus services, hundreds of students are struggling daily to commute in buses which are already overcrowded. The students in Anushapur have been demanding increase in number of buses for the last four months and are still waiting for the Corporation to ply enough buses on the route.

B Adarsh, an engineering student at Anurag Engineering College in Ghatkesar said, "In November last, we had staged a protest on road and demanded more bus services. Though the TSRTC MD had reacted on the issue, no buses have been arranged till now." "There are over 2,000 students of various colleges who have been facing problems due to inadequate number of bus services. Many students can be found running several metres to catch the bus risking their lives," he pointed out.

"As most of the engineering colleges are located on the city outskirts, it is an everyday struggle for the students to commute. There have been many incidents where the students fell and suffered injuries while trying to board the already crowded buses," said another student Prashant.

Further, they are forced to spend hundreds of rupees on private transport like auto-rickshaws and cabs. Similar is the situation in Ibrahimpatnam, Moinabad, Medchal, Shamshabad, Ghatkesar, Bhongir road etc. During the peak hours, both morning and evening, there are not adequate number of services. The students are daily risking their lives by travelling in overcrowded buses.

"We are risking our lives by standing on footboard in an overcrowded bus as there is no other option left," said Naveed, a student of CVR college. "We have urged the government authorities to provide special buses in the morning connecting various colleges from the bus stand," said a student from BVIT College.