HYDERABAD: While the Old City of Hyderabad and its iconic monuments attracts tourists from across the globe here, authorities believe plying air-conditioned buses to this part of the city would prove to be a white elephant as question of ‘affordability of tickets’ is a concern.
There are presently no air conditioned bus services to the old city. The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) officials said this is because the AC buses were conceptualised first for those working in the IT sector as they will be able to afford the service, an offcial said.
The absence of air-conditioned bus service to various parts of old city area was recently brought to light by the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president, Asaduddin Owaisi.
He had sent a letter on January 17, addressed to GV Ramana Rao, the managing director of TSRTC, requesting for air conditioned bus service to old city. “In the entire old city there are a number of historical places that are situated and daily there are tourists in large numbers from across the world visiting these sites,” Asaduddin Owaisi wrote in his briefly worded letter.
“There is presently no AC bus service to the old city. We had received the MPs letter only yesterday and the matter is under review of the TSRTC managing director,” A Purushotham, executive director, TSRTC, greater Hyderabad said. The people who commute from this area are mostly unable to afford the more expensive AC bus service.
“It has to be profitable to operate the buses if they are expanded to certain parts of the city,” he added.
“It also has to be considered that the roads in old city area are not wide enough for AC buses. These buses are larger in size than the regular buses,” the TSRTC official said.