TSRTC likely to run buses with 50 pc occupancy

The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) is gearing up to resume services in some parts of the State with the Union government permitting States to operate buses with 50 per cent seating capacity in green zones

Accordingly, RTC is planning to give numbering to seats in buses to ensure physical distance. Usually in most buses, each row has two seats totalling 40 to 50 seats depending on the type of bus.

Senior officials said that if a bus has a seating capacity of around 40 seats, only 20 passengers would be allowed to travel. “We will restrict the number of passengers in every bus as maintaining physical distance has become utmost priority,” said a senior official. Sanitisers will also be provided in bus stations for passengers to use before boarding a bus.

The authorities are waiting for a nod from the State government to take a call on allowing public transportation on May 15. RTC operates various services catering the needs of people from all walks of life. The different services include City Ordinary, Metro Express, Palle Velugu, Deluxe, Super Luxury, Rajadhani, Vajra and Garuda to different parts of the State and also to neighbouring States.

It



has been 50 days since RTC has moved a single bus for transporting the passengers. This is the second time that buses remained in depots for 50 days, the earlier one being during the 52-day long strike last year.

As RTC is reeling under huge losses, ticket fares are likely to be hiked to maintain the operational costs as only 50 per cent of seating capacity is to be availed. “We cannot rule out the possibility of a fare revision. The government will have to take a call on this,” added the official.

To ensure that ticket counters do not get crowded on resumption of the services, RTC is planning for online availability of tickets for most of the bus services.

Till now, tickets are available online for premium services like Vajra, Garuda Plus, Garuda and Rajadhani through the portal www.tsrtconline.in. However, efforts are now on to sell tickets online in all the buses.

In addition, plans are on to mark circles and boxes at ticket counters and platforms in bus stations. “Once 50 per cent of the seats are occupied, the conductors will not issue more tickets and ask the rest to board next bus,” an official said.