Bus stations in Hyderabad spring back to life during festive season

TSRTC operating 3,000 specials from Hyd to various destinations across TS, Maharashtra and Karnataka

Hyderabad: After sporting a dull, sleepy look for over five months, bus stations and bus bays across the city have now come alive, and are witnessing familiar scenes of passengers rushing to catch buses to different parts of the State for Dasara vacation.

To clear the passenger rush for the festival, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) has been operating 3,000 special buses from Hyderabad to various destinations in Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Of these, 2,000 buses were being operated between October 22 and 24.
Buses towards Yadadri-Bhongir and Warangal will come to Uppal crossroads while Jubilee Bus Station (JBS) is the point for those heading to Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Adilabad and Medak and passengers going to Nalgonda, Miryalguda and Kodad need to go to Dilsukhnagar.

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TSRTC officials have appealed passengers to make use of the website, www.tsrtconline.in, for booking tickets in advance. For enquiries and information on buses, one can call 8330933537 (MGBS), 040-27802203 (JBS), 04023747297 (Dilsukhnagar) and 9949958578 (Ameerpet).

No special buses to AP

However, in a disappointment to those who had plans of travelling to Andhra Pradesh for the festival, disappointment is in store as there are no special buses from Hyderabad due to a long-standing dispute over operation of equal number of services between TSRTC and APSRTC. Many passengers though are making alternative plans like using personal vehicles, booking private buses by paying exorbitant charges and also special trains being operated by SCR.

SCR operates specials

South Central Railway (SCR) is operating 1,310 originating/terminating festival special trains during Dasara and Diwali. Apart from these, another 456 festival special trains are passing through the zone during the festival season.

Officials said all the festival special trains were fully reserved trains and that no passenger could go to the railway station without a confirmed ticket. For the convenience of passengers, adequate reservation counters are functional at all important railway stations.

According to officials, adequate manning of the gates at railway stations and also in trains is being done to keep a check on passengers without ticket and unauthorised travelling.

“We seek cooperation of rail passengers to ensure a safe and hassle free rail travel by observing precautions in view of Covid-19. Anyone not adhering to Covid-19 prevention protocols is liable to be punished under the relevant section of the Railway Act-1989,” a senior official said.

Private operators hike ticket fares

Commuters travelling to their native places during Dasara in private non-AC buses are being forced pay exorbitant charges. Usually, bus fares are high for AC seats during festive seasons, however, due to Covid-19, there is a demand for non-AC buses.

Most of the private bus operators have increased fares on October 23 and 24. According to private bus operators, fares in non-AC, AC and multi-axle semi-sleeper buses were hiked as buses have to come empty in the return journey and this is why the fares have been raised.

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