Third wave trims TSRTC footfall

Hyderabad: With a surge in Covid-19 cases in the city, once again there has been a drastic drop in the occupancy ratio of passengers on TSRTC buses in the last few weeks. The occupancy dripped to 55 per cent. The main reason for drop down is that people are in fear to travel in public transport and many are preferring to move around with their personal transport whereas many are not venturing outdoors.

According to TSRTC officials after first and second wave, passenger ratio and daily revenue was coming back on track. But with the outbreak of Omicron which led to closure of educational institutions and work from home the revenue and occupancy ratio has dropped down.

V Venkateshwarlu, TSRTC Greater Hyderabad zone ED said, "Slowly there was an increase in occupancy rate. In November and December, the passenger ratio was 80 to 90 percent and at present we have seen a major drop fall in it. Simultaneously the revenue, which was around, Rs 2.8 crore a day earlier, dropped to Rs 1 crore in the last few days.'' For the past one week almost all the buses are running nearly empty.

Despite buses being sanitised after every trip and at night before they are parked in the depots, due to the third wave, passengers are not preferring to board buses and are opting for their own transport. Every depot is deployed with a motorised sanitisation machine. At present, the RTC is operating 2,500 buses, officer added.

S Anuskha, IT employee said, "I used to travel every day from Jeedimetla to Mehdipatnam and the RTC buses used to be full during rush hours. But now, I have seen that half the seats are empty."