HYDERABAD: When seven-foot-tall Ameen Ahmed Ansari steps into a TGSRTC bus, it’s not just another day at work as a conductor — it’s a daily battle with discomfort. Towering far above the standard bus ceiling of 6.39 feet, Ansari has had to stoop and squeeze through narrow aisles for nearly 10 hours a day, every day, since taking up the job. The result? Chronic neck pain, sleep deprivation and a growing chorus of voices online demanding change.
Now, the call has been heard loud and clear. Responding to an outpouring of support on social media, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has asked Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar to find a more suitable role for the towering conductor. Wasting no time, Prabhakar took to social media to announce that TGSRTC Managing Director VC Sajjanar had been directed to reassign Ansari to a new post — one that won’t require him to bend for hours on end.
Ansari’s story has struck a chord with citizens. A resident of Shahinagar in Chandrayangutta, he joined TGSRTC under the compassionate appointment scheme after his father, a head constable with the Kachiguda depot, passed away in 2021. Though he initially applied for a constable role, he couldn’t clear the physical tests. The alternative: a conductor’s job at the Mehdipatnam depot.
But standing tall — literally — has come at a cost. “I have to keep my head bent throughout the shift. It’s affecting my health. The buses just aren’t built for someone like me,” Ansari had reportedly told colleagues.
Speaking to TNIE, TGSRTC officials confirmed that discussions are underway to offer Ansari a permanent role that better suits his stature.
“The compassionate appointment scheme allows only conductor or constable posts. Since Ansari couldn’t qualify for the constable role, we’re now working on creating a custom position within TGSRTC that ensures his comfort and long-term wellbeing,” an official said.