RTC doesn't have money even to buy new buses, says Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar

Hyderabad: Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar surprised all by replying in Urdu while answering the questions of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen members on the TSRTC issues in the Assembly, which made the MLAs to smile.

The Transport Minister was replying to questions on bus facilities in GHMC and other districts raised by MIM member Md Moazam Khan during the Question Hour on Saturday. The minister started his speech with a greeting in Urdu 'Salam walaikum' and continued to speak, urging the members to spare him if he goes wrong. He completed the entire reply in Urdu even as the MIM members were smiling for the Minister's gesture.

The Transport Minister said that they were praying to god for improving the situation of RTC as the Corporation does not have money even to buy new buses. He said that post Covid pandemic people were not preferring public transport and opting for private vehicles. Along with this the Metro has taken the passengers of RTC. In the peak time five lakh passengers are travelling in the Metro Rail in the city, which impacted the occupancy ratio in the city.

Now Rs 500 crore is allocated for Metro Rail in Old City, he said, adding that 689 buses were decreased in the city limits. The Minister said that the Corporation operated TSRTC buses to the Medaram Sammakka –Sarlamma jatara despite incurring financial losses. The Corporation earned only Rs 11 crore by plying buses to Medaram serving 11 lakh passengers through 2,763 buses during the biennial three-day Medaram jatara.

Replying to the questions, Ajay said they were operating the buses as per the requirements of the passengers. He said that the mini buses were incurring losses of Rs 25 per kilometer hence the big buses were being operated as the occupancy ratio would be more. "The Corporation wants to buy new buses but there is no money. The Municipal Minister KT Rama Rao wanted double-decker buses but because of shortage of funds, arranged money through HMDA, said the Minister.