TSRTC may not resume AC bus services in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Curiously, the TSRTC is not offering AC bus service for the city commuters. An option for AC-travel is the Metro Rail service, which is costly. Travel by AC cabs is another option while the mercury here crossed 40 degree C.

Even though TSRTC bus shelters here  boast of fancy hi-tech AC bus-shelters, the corporation is in no mood to run AC bus services. Some 80 AC buses used to ply as ‘Metro Luxury’ services in the city, with a minimum fare of
Rs 25.

After the second lockdown, when passenger numbers fell sharply, these buses did not return to the road.

As the temperatures here are soaring, the AC bus services can be the cheapest luxury travel for the citizens. Cabs are charging an extra Rs 50 to Rs 100 to turn the AC during each journey.

AC buses had large patronage for their services to or from the Jubilee Hills, Hi-tech City and Madhapur areas. After the second lockdown, the corporation resumed its services by 40 per cent. While the Covid-linked restrictions were lifted, the corporation claimed all the services are back to normal. Yet, the ‘Metro Luxury’ AC services in the city failed to reappear.

According to the TSRTC, 50 of its AC buses were converted into Rajadhani Buses -- doing A/C bus services to districts, while 30 per cent more will soon be converted into that mode. Venka Reddy, OSD to MD, TSRTC, said, “After the ease of Covid19 situation, people still hesitate to travel by AC buses. There is less demand from passengers. So, we have started using these buses as Rajadhani Buses that are shuttling from Hyderabad to Nizamabad, Warangal and Karimnagar, and back.”  “After the end of the first lockdown, these buses were brought back to the roads, but the occupancy ratio was low. Such buses can be run only when there is at least 50 to 60 per cent occupancy,” he said. “These buses used to have high demand from those who worked in TI or IT. Now, these employees are working mostly from home. So, AC buses  have lost their patronage,” he added.