In a big relief to scores of students and as a sign of the changing times, the APSRTC bus wheels will roll into the Osmania University campus from Saturday onwards, after a gap of nearly four years.
With the Telangana issue almost settled and little chance of any further agitations, the RTC has decided to revive bus services on the route connecting Vidyanagar and Tarnaka through the sylvan surroundings of the varsity.
Bus services were withdrawn in early 2010 in the wake of series of violent incidents during the Telangana agitation. They were diverted on the Adikmet route forcing students to get down on the backside of Ladies Hostel or Manikeswari Nagar bus stop to get into the campus.
OU Vice-Chancellor S. Satyanarayana spoke to APSRTC MD A.K. Khan and requested him to operate the services through the campus road, and the latter immediately obliged given the peaceful atmosphere now.
Buses were first withdrawn in December 2009 when agitation broke out leading to violent incidents like burning and damaging the vehicles. They were introduced again only to be withdrawn after the December 23, 2009 statement of the Central government going back on its promise of creating a separate State.
Students welcomed the RTC decision.
“It will bring back life on the campus apart from the convenience factor,” said Anil, a PG final year student. He is one among several students, who have never seen a bus plying on the campus road as the services were withdrawn much before they joined the campus.
Residents of the DD Colony abutting the campus too are happy as they had to walk long distances to reach homes or hire autos paying a hefty fare. More than 50 buses shuttle across ECIL- Afzalgunj route via Osmania University and a few from Moula Ali and Habsiguda towards Koti.
