RTC to add over 500 buses to Hyderabad fleet

Efforts being made to introduce more electric buses

Hyderabad: Seeking to increase its fleet to cater to the increasing demand for public transportation, the Telangana Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) plans to soon introduce about 554 new buses in the Greater Hyderabad (GH) zone limits. Efforts were also being made to have more electric buses in the new fleet.

Hyderabad Regional RTC authorities said of the new buses to be operated under the city limits, there are 265 diesel buses and 289 electric buses. Among the 265 buses RTC provides on its own, there are 65 Metro Deluxe, 140 Metro Express, and 60 City Ordinary buses. “A total of 500 electric buses have been allocated for the Greater Hyderabad region of which 111 were already plying on the city roads,” a senior RTC official said. Sources in the corporation revealed that 25 EV buses would also be rolled out in the city within a few weeks.

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Currently, about 2,800 buses comprising all categories are being operated in the twin cities which on average cover about 7.5 lakh km each day. During their daily operations, these buses carry about 19 lakh passengers to their destinations. While there are 25 depots in Greater Hyderabad limits, each depot on average requires or consumes about 5,500 litres to 6,000 litres of diesel in a day. At present, electric buses run to the airport in Hyderabad and soon EV buses will be made available in the city.

According to RTC estimates, each electric bus will cost around Rs 50 per km and can travel up to 175 km on a single charge. But due to traffic snarls during peak hours in Hyderabad, officials say a single charge may last up to 150 km. Soon, the corporation is also planning to set up electric charging points at Ranigunj, Hayathnagar-2, Hyderabad Central University and Kukatpally bus depots.