TSRTC fares hike would be affected from June 27

Commuters travelling in TSRTC buses would have to shell out more from Monday next as the government on Thursday affected a 10 per cent hike in fares in all its services, imposing a burden of Rs 286 crore on the people.

Transport Minister P Mahender Reddy on Thursday said that the charges would be implemented from the first trip on Monday. He informed that the rates of the bus passes would also be increased. The fares of city buses, express and above services have also been increased by 10 per cent. 

As announced earlier, Palle Velugu services would go up by the Re 1up to 30 km and Rs 2 per stage after 30 km. The corporation expects to generate Rs 286 crore from the hike. He said that ticket charges in Telangana were lower compared to neighbouring states like Maharashtra and Karnataka. 

He said that the fares were on a par with the RTC fares in Andhra Pradesh. The AP corporation had increased fares in October 2015 and Telangana did not increase the fare for the last one year, he added.

The Minister said that the corporation had suffered Rs 701 crore loss in the last one year. The corporation was earning revenues of Rs 9 crore, whereas the expenditure incurred was Rs 11 crore per day, resulting in a loss of Rs 2 crore per day. 

He said that the corporation had accumulated total



loss amounting to Rs 2,276 crore.  The operational losses during the previous years were Rs 255 crore.

The Minister informed that 1,200 new buses would be procured to improve connectivity to every constituency.  Every district headquarter would have an A/C bus to Hyderabad. “The long routes are making profits and the number of buses would be increased on these long routes. There is no proposal to privatise RTC,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao directed the Finance Department to give immediate financial assistance of Rs 300 crore to TSRTC for overcoming the burden of loans and purchase of new buses as part of strengthening its fleet. He reviewed the functioning of RTC with the Transport Minister, TSRTC chairman S Satyanarayana and Managing Director G V Ramana Rao at the Camp Office.  

“Since the government was extending all support, officials and staff of the RTC should work in coordination to travel on growth path and make benefits,” the CM is learnt to have said. He also asked them to make timely payment of funds amounting to Rs 500 crore to TSRTC as it was offering concession passes to various sections. 

Also, by offering Rs 198 crore to RTC from GHMC, the former can overcome the debt problem of Rs 700 crore, he added.