Hyderabad: RTC drivers, conductors and technical staff said they feared for their jobs after the corporation decided to hire buses instead of adding to the fleet. Sources said the ratio of private buses to its own fleet is restricted to 18 per cent, but this is being reportedly ignored by the management.
Even though it has a fleet strength of 6,500 buses, the RTC has hired an overwhelming 2,850 buses. Insiders point out that the corporation is in the process of hiring 700 more buses.
According to a RTI query by one M Nageshwar Rao, who sought details about the number of hired vehicles, and if there has been any amendment to increase the ‘own-hired vehicles’ ratio, the TSRTC replied, ‘Hired vehicles did not figure in the board meeting agenda’. Incidentally, there was no board meeting between 2015 and 2021.
Corporation employees are worried that if the hiring is done on such a scale, their jobs would be in jeopardy. The management should see to it that the corporation plies its own buses.
Nageshwar Rao, who is a former board member of the corporation, opined, “TSRTC is meant for the welfare of the people and its employees. If it is in losses, the state government should come forward and bail it out. After all, it belongs to the services sector and is not a commercial entity. Why are private players being encouraged, when it has dedicated and diligent staff strength of
46,000,” he wondered.
