Commuters in various parts of the Old City in Hyderabad are currently facing difficulties due to a lack of bus services. The State-run bus services were discontinued during the Covid-19 induced lockdown and have not yet been resumed. The TSRTC (Telangana State Road Transport Corporation) has reduced the frequency or completely stopped several bus services in different localities, affecting regular commuters.
According to locals, bus services connecting areas like Uppuguda, Rajanna Bowli, Lal Darwaza, Chatrinaka, Gowliguda, SRT Colony, Yakutpura, Talabkatta, Vattepally, Nawab Saheb Kunta, Teegalkunta, Kalapather, Shaheennagar, and surrounding areas have been decreased or removed. This has caused suffering for thousands of people who regularly travel from these areas. Many of these residents are lower middle-class or middle-class individuals who cannot afford the expenses of alternative modes of transportation such as autos or cabs.
Passengers traveling towards Secunderabad, Mehdipatnam, Jubilee hills, Maula Ali, Hi-Tec City, Patancheru, Musheerabad, Sanathnagar, and IS Sadan were previously able to reach their destinations smoothly. However, they are now facing numerous challenges as they have to board connecting buses from Afzalgunj, IS Sadan, and Koti.
Private transport options, particularly sharing auto rickshaws, are available but they charge high fares that lower-middle-class families can barely afford. The closure of the Charminar bus stop and its relocation to Shalibanda X Roads has resulted in the cessation of bus services on these routes. This has affected students who rely on bus services to reach educational institutions in areas like Koti, Narayanguda, Abids, and Secunderabad.
Locals have reported the discontinuation of bus services such as 75R (Rajanna Bowli to Koti), 75A (Uppuguda to Koti), 8U (Uppuguda to Secunderabad), 8R (Uppuguda to Alwal), 9M (Uppuguda to Sanathnagar), 65M (Charminar to Mehdipatnam), 127J (Charminar to Jubilee Hills), and more. They have raised complaints and submitted a memorandum of demands to the Regional Manager of the RTC (Road Transport Corporation).
Although the local authorities and RTC responded to the representation, no solution to the problem has been found yet. The residents are still awaiting a resolution to the issue of reduced bus services in their areas.
