Ill-maintenance of AC buses affecting commuters

Hyderabad: Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) Metro and Metro Luxury buses are now analogous to ordinary buses, in terms of quality and service provided. “AC vents in metro luxury buses throws in polluted air as there is no periodic maintenance,” said social activist, Shaik Salauddin. In luxury AC buses the minimum fare is Rs 16 and maximum is Rs 80 for a ride above 26 kilometers. 

Whereas the minimum fare in ordinary buses is Rs 5 and maximum is Rs 40 for the distance above 38 kilometers. “there is not much difference in the quality or service. Swing doors do not function anymore, AC vents are just for namesake. The only thing that changes is price, and crowd during peak hours,” said Rajeshwari a school teacher who commutes from Mehdipatnam to Uppal every day.

It is to be noted that even metro rail is cheaper than AC buses in city, with a minimum fare of Rs 10 up until Rs 60 for maximum distance. “Metro train rides are efficient and convenient, only problem is that they are not as prevalent as RTC buses,” said Vishvatej, a student who travels through metro.
“Outdated and ill-maintained Luxury and AC buses continue to exhaust tar like smoke, and bother roadside commuters,” said Mohammed Najeem a commuter from Mehdipatnam. Shaik Salauddin said, “I often travel between Amberpet and Kukatpally, for which I usually choose AC buses, however, for the past few weeks the quality of service is deteriorating. The air flowing from the vent smells like harmful chemicals.” 

TSRTC official Sreedhar said “there are 179 AC buses in city, out of which 46 are being used for long distance travelling and 123 buses are moving across the city every day. The buses are cleaned and checked on daily basis. We are facing some problem with TATA AC buses in the city as there is a technical glitch in the fuel injection system for which we are already working.”

BY Mayank Tiwari