Low TGSRTC bus frequency troubles commuters in Hyderabad’s Old City

Low frequency and irregular TSRTC bus services in Hyderabad’s southern suburbs are causing hardship to students and office-goers during peak hours. Commuters complain of long waiting times, overcrowding and lack of bus shelters at several locations.

Hyderabad: Low frequency of TGSRTC bus services in the city suburbs is causing immense hardship for commuters, particularly students and office-goers, during the morning hours.

The problem is severe in the new growth areas in the south of the city such as Pahadishareef, Shaheehnagar, Thukkuguda and other areas on the route.

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Consider the case of an intermediate student of a government college in Maheshwaram, whose classes commence at 9.30 am. Waiting at the Skyroot Aerospace Infinity Campus bus stop, the student said, “The bus for Keshampet arrives around 9.30 am and we reach the college around 10 am. There is no other option as other services are overcrowded and not regular. We do not want to stand on the stairs of the bus.”

She is not alone in this hardship. There are several other students from nearby localities who share a similar plight and adopt the same strategy to reach their college, located around 13 kilometres away from the Aerospace Infinity Campus bus stop.

An SSC student from Sadathnagar on Pahadishareef Road, who is pursuing her studies at a government school in Barkas, faces a similar problem. “Although we arrive at the bus stop early, we have to wait for a bus for a long time, sometimes more than half an hour. We are 15 to 20 minutes late to school regularly,” said the girl.

Passengers complain that buses do not arrive on time and there are no supervisors at the stops. “Sometimes, three to four buses come in a row, while at other times we keep waiting. At times, the drivers do not stop the buses and speed away, and sometimes they stop at a distance from the designated bus stop, forcing us to run on the road,” complained Samreen Begum, a woman working at a private office.

Another problem affecting people who use RTC buses is the lack of bus shelters at Shaheehnagar, Errakunta, Sadathnagar, Jalpally and Chandrayangutta. “With no proper bus shelter, we have to stand on the road. Shopkeepers shout at us for standing in front of their shops as they feel our presence affects their business,” complained Najma Begum, who takes a bus from the Highway Hotel bus stop.