No free bus travel on many Old City routes

Hyderabad: Despite free travel for women in State-run buses, the women in Old Hyderabad have been commuting in auto-rickshaws, as there is a lack of bus services in the southern part of the city.

The Hans India has been raising the issue for the last several months that the Old city over lack of bus services. The people here are forced to travel in other means of transport including autos and sharing autos. Passengers who used to travel in buses in parts of the Old city are now deprived of its services and women with free ride. They face difficulties due to lack of public transport in various parts and connecting areas.

According to the passengers, the bus services which were discontinued during Covid lockdown, the authorities have failed to resume the services so far. In a clear example of how people are deprived of buses, the TSRTC has decreased or removed several services one after another in the areas in parts of Old city. Some of the buses connecting important localities are completely stopped or diverted to new areas impacting the regular commuters and women are not able to utilise the facility.

The TSRTC has decreased or removed several bus services on the routes connecting areas like Uppuguda, Rajanna Bowli, Lal Darwaza, Chatrinaka, Gowliguda, SRT Colony, Yakutpura, Talabkatta, Vattepally, Nawab Saheb Kunta, Teegalkunta, Kalapather, Rein Bazar and Shaheennagar and its surrounding areas.

The locals earlier had the bus services including regular and minibuses like 75R (Rajanna Bowli to Koti), 75A (Uppuguda to Koti), 8U (Uppuguda to Secunderabad), 8R (Uppuguda to Alwal), 9M (Uppuguda to Sanathnagar), 65M (Charminar to Mehdipatnam), 127J (Charminar to Jubilee Hills) and many more were discontinued,” said K Venkatesh, a resident of Lal Darwaza.

Moreover, thousands of passengers regularly travel from these areas. The residents comprise lower middle-class and middle-class people, cannot not bear the expenses for travelling in an auto or a cab. “Now, the women everywhere are utilising the free service and here the women are forced to spend money in commuting,” said Mohammed Ahmed, a social activist at Old city. Women, especially the students are benefitting the free bus services in many routes. “Because of the non-availability of the buses, we are forced to send our children to the school in auto-rickshaw, which is a costly affair,” said Afzal Khan, a resident of Talabkatta.