TGSRTC justifies high price as buses return empty
Hyderabad: Passengers travelling to Andhra Pradesh for Sankranti were found to be favouring APSRTC buses for their lower fares over those of the TGSRTC. APSRTC retained standard ticket fares, whereas the TGSRTC charged one-and-a-half times the regular fare for its special services. AP buses were offering luxury and deluxe services, the Mahalakshmi fares do not apply for these services on the TSRTC, thereby eliminating any advantage.
APSRTC deployed 2,200 special buses for the festive season and became the first choice. Those who were unable to secure APSRTC tickets opted for the TGSRTC services. Despite this, all TGSRTC buses have reported full occupancy through advance bookings.
TGSRTC, on the other hand, operated 1,600 special buses and 1,500 regular. A senior TGSRTC official noted that 330 special buses scheduled for Friday and Saturday achieved full occupancy through advance reservations.
Explaining the higher fares, the official said, “TGSRTC’s special buses, which often have no fixed depot stops, run empty in one direction, such as the 650-km trip to Visakhapatnam. The additional fuel costs are a factor, leading to the one-and-a-half fare for special buses. Each bus carries around 40 passengers.”
TGSRTC reported carrying approximately five lakh passengers during the Sankranti season, with additional trips planned for the weekend to accommodate the ongoing demand of people returning to Telangana.
