Lack of ordinary services pushes RTC passengers to pay more

Hyderabad: With the low frequency of TSRTC ordinary buses during peak hours on majority of routes in the city, the passengers who are holding the bus passes for the ordinary services are forced to shell out extra money to travel in RTC metro express buses. Passengers said that they have been spending extra money on combination tickets (Bus pass plus additional fare) to travel in metro buses as there is a low frequency of ordinary services during the peak hours.

Many school and college going students travel in RTC buses, in which, a majority of them have bus passes. Due to low frequency of ordinary buses in most of the routes, they are forced to travel in metro buses by spending Rs 15 extra.

According to them, earlier the cost of combination ticket was Rs 10 in metro buses which has now been increased to Rs 15. "On the route from Mehdipatnam to Aziz Nagar via Bandlaguda Jagir, most of the buses that ply during peak hours are metro buses. With no ordinary services, the passengers are forced to travel in metro buses. I am forced to spend round Rs 750 a month on combination tickets," said Sridhar, a regular RTC passenger with a bus pass.

Likewise, there are several other daily passengers in various routes in the city who are facing the same issue due to low frequency of bus services. The routes like Medchal to Secunderabad (229), Jeedimetla to Mehdipatnam (189M), Medchal to Patancheru (219/229), Medchal to ECIL (24S/229),Chandrayangutta to Secunderabad (8A) andBahadurpura to Secunderabad (7Z) are also reported of low frequency of ordinary services.

"For the last few days, a majority of buses onroute from Manikonda to Secunderabad (47L)are only metro buses. As a result, we the bus pass holdersare forced to spend extra charges on combination tickets. Earlier, there were two-three buses on each route, but now hardly any ordinary bus is on the route," said Divya Khatri, a resident of Secunderabad.

"Though the Corporation has hiked bus fare and bus pass charges and levied extra cess, it has failed to provide adequate number of ordinary services. I appeal to the Corporation to increase the ordinary bus services on designated routes," said Mohammed Asif.