The lack of wide publicity regarding the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) resuming its operations in Hyderabad partially on Friday resulted in poor occupancy in the buses. The occupancy in buses at the Central Bus Station (CBS), the major bus station for intercity buses in Hyderabad, was less than 10 passengers per vehicle, authorities said.
The TSRTC resumed its operations partially in Hyderabad, which was the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the state after a period of six months.
The TSRTC buses went off road on March 22 during the first lockdown. The services, except city services in Hyderabad, were resumed on May 19.
As per the instructions of the government, only 25% of the total fleet of buses were ferrying passengers. Out of the 3200-odd buses around 730 resumed service.
The buses which were put into service were sanitized before they embarked on the journey. Depot managers issued strict instructions to drivers and conductors to allow passengers only if they had masks, or covered their faces with handkerchiefs or towels.
The conductors were also provided with a bottle of sanitizer, so that the passengers would first cleanse their hands before any transaction.
“Not many knew that the RTC had resumed its services, so there were hardly any people in bus stands,” said a conductor. She added, “We had to halt at bus stands for longer than usual and ask people to get in.”
(TSRTC had laid down markings on floor to ensure social distancing, but not many follow the rules)
Speaking to TNM, CBS Depot Manager, N Srinivas Rao, said that the lack of publicity, lack of regular train services, colleges not reopening resulted in the poor occupancy. “Usually RTC buses get crowded because of office going employees and students. With no RTC buses, they seem to have made their own transport arrangements, and similarly colleges haven’t reopened, so the occupancy is less,” he said.
The Depot Manager added that many buses had less than 10 passengers.
The CBS station, which is right opposite to the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station in Afzalgunj-- which accommodates the state and inter-state buses--gets 400 buses normally, and it connects to several parts of the city.
Depot Manager Srinivas said that the ECIL- Afzalgunj, Secunderabad- Afzalgunj, Jeedimetla - Afzalguj and Patancheru- CBS, bus routes had ‘average’ occupancy, and was comparatively better than the others.
Underwhelmed by the poor patronage, TSRTC Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, executive director, V Venkatesh urged the media to give wide publicity regarding the bus routes and the number of buses operational in each route.