MGBS cries for attention

Lack of proper maintenance, basic amenities add to passenger woes

Hyderabad: Basic amenities, general upkeep, and other vital passenger facilities at Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS), one of the largest bus stations in Asia, appear to have drastically gone from better to worse. Around six years ago, in 2019, TSRTC with the support of the then BRS government took up the modernisation of MGBS with a cost of Rs 8 lakh. However, the lack of proper regular maintenance has started to impact the quality of amenities and other facilities that are meant for passengers.

Sprawling over 20 acres, the MGBS is a major bus terminal for the TSRTC, with a daily passenger footfall of 90, 000 from across Telangana and neighboring States. The number goes up to one lakh per day on festival days. Despite the huge size, parking continues to remain the Achilles Heel for MGBS as motorists, particularly two-wheeler owners struggle to find a safe spot, especially on busy days and weekends when employees travel to their hometowns.

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The three parking lots are perennially crammed with nearly 3,000 vehicles thus forcing people to either park their vehicles outside the designated parking lots or shell out more money to parking agents to find a spot. “It is very difficult to find a parking space on weekends at MGBS. Parking agents sometimes do not issue tickets citing lack of space. Parking agents do not take responsibility when a vehicle is parked a little away from the parking lots,” says Shiva Kumar, a private employee from Dilsukhnagar.

A few years ago, there was a proposal to construct a multi-storied parking lot, but the project did not take off. Though the RTC launched its in-house water brand ‘Ziva’, passengers frequently complain about additional rates being collected by stall owners, owing to its unavailability. “They openly collect additional charges on the pretext of cooling charges and other reasons. It is mostly done on soft drinks and water bottles,” said Raheemuddin, a passenger.

Meanwhile, there is no proper scrutiny of passengers and baggage by the personnel while entering or exiting the premises. The metal detectors are dysfunctional while the security personnel and police constables hardly check people. At least, one-fourth of the total surveillance cameras are malfunctioning.

Of the 70 platforms, at least 20 have various damages. Though the TSRTC started a baby trolley service at the station for the convenience of women passengers carrying luggage and travelling with children, there are very few trolleys available while the demand is huge. The free battery buggy service too is not available. “We are continuously working towards the betterment of the passenger facilities in the station. We are timely rectifying technical malfunction issues and also ensure citizens get the best experience,” said an RTC official.