Hyderabad's needs better wheels to move: Commuters demand more TSRTC buses; urge restoration of discontinued routes and better last-mile links

TOI readers say TGSRTC must add more buses in the city and its outskirts to prevent overcrowding. They also want officials to restore discontinued routes, start feeder buses, and ensure all areas are connectedPhase Out Old BusesThe area of Hyderabad is around 651 sq km, and the population density is about 18,161 people per square kilometre. The roads will not be able to sustain the ever-increasing private vehicles at the rate of 30,000 new vehicles added to the roads per month.

Effective and efficient public transport is the only way out. The number of city buses plying on the Hyderabad roads is around 3,100. It is estimated that 60 buses are needed per one lakh of the population. To accommodate one crore-plus city dwellers, at least 7,000 more buses are needed. Keeping ever-increasing pollution in mind, only EVs should be added in the future, and old ICEs should be phased out.

— K Praveen RaoNeed Better PlanningEvery day, we see overcrowded buses, especially during peak hours, plying on the road, whereas during non-peak hours, several buses run almost empty.

This problem can be addressed by increasing the number of buses during rush hours and adjusting timings based on traffic and passenger demand. It’s high time the govt addressed this issue because public transport is the lifeline of our city, and overcrowding has become a serious concern.

More buses during peak hours and better route planning can make travelling safer and more comfortable for everyone. A few small changes can make a big difference in ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient public transport for all.

— Pranathi Reddy MallelaCommuters’ Complaints IgnoredThe buses are not at all sufficient to accommodate the growing number of commuters. I stay on Upparpally Road. RTC has withdrawn the mini bus from Jana Priya to Mehdipatnam. Similarly, 5K from JP to Secunderabad, 94U from Upparpally to Koti, and 19 from Rajendranagar to Kukatpally via Upparpally since 2020, in spite of submitting multiple requests.— V VaradarajReinstate Old RoutesI am writing to bring to your attention the lack of public bus services to Vampuguda in the Kapra area, a serious issue affecting hundreds of daily commuters.

Until mid-2020, TSRTC buses such as 3K, 6K, and 43V regularly operated between ECIL X Roads, Vampuguda, and Secunderabad Railway Station. However, these services have been discontinued for over five years now. This disruption has caused immense hardship to residents, especially students and working professionals, who now struggle daily with limited and costly transport options.

The absence of reliable public transport has not only increased travel time and expenses but also affected access to education and employment.

We request that the TGSRTC authorities reinstates the discontinued bus routes.— Susai RajMake Public Transport ReliableTGSRTC must increase the number of buses across all categories—ordinary, express, luxury, and even electric luxury buses like those in Delhi. At present, commuters face severe inconvenience due to heavy rush and low frequency, which forces many to rely on private vehicles. This not only increases traffic congestion but also contributes to pollution and stress on city roads.

By expanding the fleet and improving service frequency, TSRTC can make public transport more reliable and attractive.

Introducing more electric luxury buses along major routes will encourage IT professionals, students, and daily commuters to shift from personal vehicles to buses, reducing road congestion significantly.— T Kailash DityaEnable Real-Time TrackingA robust and efficient public transport system is vital for sustainable urban growth, reducing traffic congestion, and cutting pollution.

To strengthen our public transport, the govt must extend routes to underserved areas and ensure facilities are accessible to differently-abled and elderly passengers. More frequent services with dedicated bus lanes and real-time tracking can make commuting smoother and more predictable.

Modernise vehicles with cleaner energy options like electric or CNG buses and improve station amenities for commuter comfort and safety.— Nagarajamani MVProvide Special Buses Only For MenPlease introduce city buses from Lingampalli to Koti, Hyderabad, via Nalagandla, Gopanapally, and Gowlidoddi. Also, provide bus shelters along with bus route numbers in these areas. It is requested to provide gents’ special buses as we are not getting any seats because of the increase in the number of women commuters due to the free bus scheme.— Konduri Kasivisveswara RaoMake Travel In City Hassle-FreeThe govt has introduced free buses for women but did not make any arrangements to accommodate the increase in the number of passengers.

Because of this, men, senior citizens, and the differently-abled are suffering the most. Every day, we see verbal altercations in buses. There is a need to ply more buses so that common people can travel hassle-free.— Basanta Kumar SahooReduce Waiting TimeI have been a regular commuter of buses since my school days. I feel the TGSRTC city bus services are low in number and are not covering all routes. Lately, the waiting time has increased significantly for various routes.

It is surprising that a few years back, buses were running on time, but now the system has gone haywire, especially after old routes were discontinued. It’s time RTC provided better connectivity and improved its services.— AdverAdd Direct BusesI am a resident of Ganesh Nagar, beside Sai Anurag Colony, Ameenpur. My office is located in Panjagutta . Currently, I need to take two buses daily — one from Volvo to Miyapur Crossroad and another from Miyapur to Panjagutta.

There are many regular commuters from our area who also travel to Panjagutta and Secunderabad via Miyapur, facing the same inconvenience of changing buses enroute. The govt should consider introducing a direct bus service from Bachupally to Panjagutta.

This will greatly benefit many daily commuters, save travel time, and encourage more people to use public transport.— Sainath AvadutaHalt Buses At StopsI request TGSRTC to increase the bus frequency on route number 116 N/L, which runsfrom Lingampally to Koti via Khajaguda.

This is one of the longest routes, and we are facing heavy traffic jams on this route even during non-peak hours. The required number of buses are not plying on this route, especially during the morning and post-noon. Another problem that commuters are facing is that drivers are not stopping buses at the stop but halting them far away from the designated area, creating chaos.— Manju BhowmickImprove Last-Mile ConnectivityThere are no buses from Kompally to Koti. I stay in a gated community in Kompally.

Nearly 3,000 families stay in our lane. There is no TSRTC bus from our area to Koti, JBS, or Kukatpally. There are no bus stops. As there are no buses, we are forced to take hundreds of cars and bikes out, adding to the traffic. We request the govt to start AC buses from the Aparna Serenity locality to JBS, Paradise, Koti, MGBS, and Kukatpally. There is also a need to improve last-mile connectivity to the metro by adding buses.— SurenderPrivatise New RoutesThe main reason for traffic congestion in Hyderabad is the lack of proper public transportation. This is the opinion of the experts’ committee appointed by the govt. But no govt has attempted to implement the recommendations to improve public transportation, and the city today has the highest number of two-wheelers due to this reason. The TSRTC has discontinued a number of routes over the years, citing various reasons.

It should immediately revive all those routes. The TSRTC should conduct a survey and start new routes in order to cover all areas. If the routes are not viable for TSRTC, it can privatise them. Mini buses can be run in the narrow lanes of the city.— Kanchiraju KasinathStop Rationalising RoutesTGSRTC, which claims to be gradually coming out of losses, is reducing its services against expectations. After reducing from over 3,800 buses to 2,800 buses in the Greater Hyderabad zone, TSRTC has reduced the number of depots in the city from 29 to 26.

In the name of rationalising bus schedules, RTC has merged Raniganj 1 and 2 and Musheerabad 1 and 2 depots with other depots. When the city is expanding, the ideal thing to do is add buses, not reduce them.— Shamsuddin MaghrabiProper Planning MustI am staying in Miyapur. Buses in my area are always overcrowded during peak hours. The whole public transport mechanism needs a complete overhaul. The TGSRTC buses are too old and ill-equipped. To make matters worse, the buses are made free for female passengers.

Citizens are automatically discouraged from using them due to overcrowding. Why can’t the govt plan and add buses to improve traffic? Most IT employees use personal vehicles as routes are not planned properly.— Sandeep KanchalwarPoor Connectivity To SecunderabadThere is absolutely no bus service to Secunderabad Railway Station from Srinagar Colony and Panjagutta. There is a huge demand for these buses from the areas surrounding Srinagar Colony, and commuters are forced to go to Ameerpet to board Secunderabad-bound buses.

The buses can take a left turn at Panjagutta Crossroads and go to Secunderabad via Begumpet flyover, etc. I request the TGSRTC management to kindly consider this request.— Katuru Durga Prasad RaoCarry Out Regular AuditsFirstly, to address the overcrowding of buses, the transport officials must undertake a detailed survey of each area to ascertain the requirement of buses, both during peak and non-peak hours, and introduce new buses if needed, in a phased manner.

They must also draw out a long-term plan and policy to plug loopholes. In addition, periodical audits should be carried out to ensure that buses are plying as per the schedule and are well maintained.

Minibuses must be invariably reintroduced across the city.— KR SrinivasanWork In Coordination With MetroRapid urbanisation and the quest for infrastructure augmentation nudge cities into expansion mode, which then requires a multimodal transportation system for effective and efficient connectivity.

This calls for a harmonious and complementary seamless network of trains, metro, buses, and other vehicles. And for Hyderabad, the system should be running on cleaner fuel only. The immediate measure is to increase the metro coaches and frequency.

To address the last-mile connectivity issue, the TGSRTC should consider adding smaller electric vehicles to their fleet serving the hinterland areas. Also, they should withdraw buses from areas served by the metro and rather concentrate on uncovered areas.— Ravi KantCater To StudentsFor the past several years, buses that run from Saidabad Colony to Koti Women’s College, Mehdipatnam, Nampally, Charminar, and Secunderabad have been discontinued. There is a need to restore these routes as public transportation is missing here, and it is students who are suffering the most. Further, we need buses from Saidabad Colony to Dilsukhnagar via Saroornagar, as most students go through this route to reach their college.— Marium KhanBring In Student Special FleetEvery morning, the Kompally–Suchitra corridor tells a dangerous story. Scores of students are seen hanging from bus footboards, standing on the steps, or walking along busy roads because the buses are overcrowded and insufficient. It is both alarming and heartbreaking to see our youth, who should be focusing on education, risking their safety just to reach college. The govt must urgently identify peak hours in student-dense areas and triple the number of buses.

These are not luxury demands but basic necessities to ensure safety and punctuality. A fleet of “Student Special” buses operating between 7:30–10 am and 4–6:30 pm., affordable passes, and well-marked, shaded bus stops could bring immediate relief.— Chada Rekha RaoConduct Detailed SurveyAn ideal urban and suburban transport system should be multi-modal, with either a circular elevated or subway rail system supplemented by public road transport linking residential areas with the nearest rail station.

This will reduce the load on roads and go a long way in easing road congestion. A proper traffic survey should be conducted to enhance road capacity in high-density traffic areas. Traffic signals should be aligned to ensure a smooth flow of traffic.

The laying of wide and proper roads with regular and proper upkeep is also essential. Separate lanes for 2and 3-wheelers will go a long way in solving the traffic problem. The police should enforce traffic rules and regulations with an iron hand to ensure perfect road discipline.

New townships should have adequate flyovers and underpasses to meet the growing traffic demand in the future.— Govind KumarStrengthen Public TransportWith the increase in population, our roads are always crowded. One way to address this is to strengthen the public transport system. Not just buses, we need to strengthen the entire ecosystem, including the metro. It would be better if the govt could construct multilevel parking for vehicles alongside proposed metro stations as part of the expansion project.— Kesava Annadevara