Telangana: RTC luggage price hike to burden passengers

Hyderabad: The TSRTC, which has entered into the logistic business in the name of bulk cargo transport, has decided to hike the luggage charges.

Now it plans to put restriction on the weight of luggage that can be carried by passengers in buses. Anyone carrying more than 100 kg in buses will have to shell out more money and book the luggage in bulk cargo carrier.

So far passengers travelling in the TSRTC bus were allowed to carry 50 kg of luggage with them for free and another 50 kg of luggage was charged.

The 50-kg free luggage was to be carried in three packets and the rule was that each packet should not exceed 20 kg. For the remaining 50 kg, the TSRTC used to collect charges as per the luggage fares and there was no limit in the buses.

According to officials, the charges for luggage was based on the distance travelled. The fares in city services for a distance of 0 to 8 km is Re 1 per kg for a distance of 25 km and above it is Rs 5 per kg.

In rural Pallevelugu, it is Re 1 for 0 to 25 km, Rs 4 for 25 km to 100 km and Rs 12 for a distance of 200 km or above. In Express services (rural), it is Rs 24 per kg for a distance of 500 km or above.

But as the RTC has launched the cargo services with the aim of mopping up more revenue to help the Corporation to get out of red, it has made it mandatory that the luggage weighing over 100 kg has to be booked through authorised contractor for transport of the goods.

The Corporation has already sent circulars to the Regional Managers, Divisional Managers and Depot Managers asking them to take necessary action to implement the instructions.

The excess luggage will be transported in the cargo bus, sources say. The proposals pertaining to this scheme of things is being given final touches and once the Chief Minister gives his nod, the action plan will be rolled out.

The RTC is planning to press more than 1,100 buses for the purpose. The management has also proposed to set up this business as a separate wing and enter into different and profitable business segments related to cargo transportation.