The festive mood in Hyderabad got spiked on Saturday as travel plans were disrupted due to the strike by Telangana State Road Transport Corporation employees.
As a majority of TSRTC buses stayed off the road in the region, private bus operators and small vehicle owners cashed in on the situation. A private bus operator hawked a ticket for Volvo AC Multi Axle Sleeper between Hyderabad and Vijayawada for ₹3,000, almost three times the usual cost.
The TSRTC, which has eight bus operating between the two cities, had only one seat available in the eight buses it was operating in the night.
The RTCs of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana priced the tickets between ₹318 and ₹905. In contrast, the private bus operators fixed the ticket cost between ₹1,200 and ₹3,000 with the majority of them keeping it around ₹2,000.
Near the L.B. Nagar junction, where the long-distance buses start for the districts, it was mayhem as people from Suryapet, Kodad and Nalgonda tried to escape the city for the holidays. “They are charging each person ₹300 for an SUV and ₹250 for the micro-vans for Suryapet. I usually pay ₹150 for the same ride. But now, I have no choice,” said Vikram Reddy, who was waiting for his friend to travel. Each of the micro-vans, whose capacity is 7+1, were packed with more than 15 people.
“We have a number of vehicles which ply between Suryapet and Hyderabad on a regular basis. But now there are more as we have holidays and schools are also closed. RTC buses are not plying so there is greater demand,” said Veeresh, who operates a micro-van between the two cities. “The charges are not high given that we have to return without any passengers,” he reasoned.
Tickets at a premium
Considering the exorbitantly high-priced tickets, some played the waiting game, pinning their hopes on RTC buses. B. Shravan, a native of Warangal who works in Hyderabad, was seen waiting at Jubilee Bus Depot for over an hour. “During Dasara, RTC hikes ticket prices. Despite that, I travel to Warangal by paying ₹180-200. Private cabs or vans charge ₹600, which is triple the public transport charges. I chose to wait for the RTC bus,” Shravan said.
Another passenger at the bus depot said that for a family of five people, the cost of travelling to Warangal in private vehicles works up to ₹3,000, as opposed to ₹800-1,000 in RTC buses.
As soon as one of the a few buses stopped at bus depots, people rushed to the drivers to enquire where they were headed since destination boards were not displayed on some vehicles. With no information available on the arrival of buses, people sought help of police officials who were on duty at bus depots.
Some anxiously waiting for buses booked tickets in advance. “My uncle booked a ticket to Vemulawada. But we don’t know if that ticket can be used or if we have to buy another one,” said a youngster who was seen moving from one bus to another enquiring about the destination.
A few TSRTC staff members organised buses where 30 or more people were headed to destinations in the same route.
Intra-city buses
While there was little hope of getting an RTC bus to reach neighbouring districts, only a few plied within the city. Though metro rail was an option, a handful of residents opted for RTC buses. Venkatesh, a student, who was waiting at Secunderabad bus station, said it costs over ₹40 to reach Nacharam.
“I have a bus pass so I prefer to wait for an RTC bus. Besides, metro rail is available only till Habsiguda,” he explained.
Another passenger, P. Ravinder, who was also found waiting for a bus to Nacharam said the charges were the same for metro rail and autorickshaws.
“The demands of RTC workers might have been addressed only if private transport hadn’t been available,” he said.
