Intra-Old City public transport still a challenge

Students, professionals and blue collar workers in Old City continue to wait for a reliable public transport system. The TSRTC has limited options as a large portion of the area around Charminar has become off limits for the buses.

Residents are forced to rely on other modes of transport as there has been no augmentation in services.

Intra-Old City services remain inadequate as TSRTC operates buses on the main thoroughfares along the Nayapul-Salar Jung Museum-Darul Shifa-Shamsheergunj-Shalibanda stretch to the east of Charminar, and the Nayapul-High Court onward stretch to its west.

Bushra Begum, a 22-year-old PG student of the Government Degree College for Women (GDCW), Hussaini Alam, and resident of Falaknuma, says TSRTC used to operate minibuses to the educational institution. But, the services were stopped a few years ago.

“Women and girls look for safety while travelling to schools and colleges, and direct buses ensure that. Now, while there are buses from Falaknuma towards Khilwat, what about students who come from the east, for example, Talabkatta or Eidi Bazaar? There are few or no buses running at those locations,” she says.

Daily struggle

Lending perspective to issues of travelling within Old City, frequent bus user Mohammed Isaaq, a 23-year-old resident of Kalapather, says, “If I want to have lunch at Victoria Hotel in Bibi Bazaar, I will have to walk 15 minutes to the bus stop near the Tadbun chowrasta, get off near Madina, change buses and proceed towards Salarjung Museum, and then towards Darul Shifa road.”

Others said the Charminar Pedestrianisation Project, while good-intentioned, has created a bus no-go zone and boxed out a large portion of the Old City.

Access cut

“From north to south, it is not possible to go directly to Shalibanda from Madina, and back. From west to east, travelling from Fateh Darwaza to Noor Khan Bazaar is next to impossible,” said Muntajib Khurram. Core Old City does not does not have a model bus shelter, he added.

Poor connectivity has been forcing them to use other modes of transport. This has also led to a heavy dependence on two-wheelers and shared auto-rickshaws.

For their part, TSRTC and public representatives pointed out ‘practical problems’ which they have been facing in the area. Narrow carriageways, road encroachments and an abundance of two-wheelers in the area have made operations cumbersome and less profitable.

“Even minibuses are not profitable now as the occupancy is low. Like any other place, we want to have more buses in the area. We are open to working with those who have good idea about operations in the area,” said a senior TSRTC official.

Need for road widening

Yakutpura legislator Ahmed Pasha Quadri said road widening along certain stretches would help increase bus services.

He also said encroachments on the road leading to the GDCW have proved to be an impediment to the movement of minibuses. “We had submitted proposals in the past for road widening and junction improvement. We are following up these proposals,” he said.