HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) is witnessing a steady shift towards cashless travel, with digital transactions nearly doubling over the past year.
Data shows that the share of passengers opting for digital payments rose from 8.6% (15 lakh) in April 2025 to 19.88% (86.37 lakh) in March, indicating growing confidence in technology-driven ticketing. The shift is also reflected in revenue trends. Digital payments contributed over 28% of earnings in March, amounting to `82.03 crore, compared to 20.26% (`21.72 crore) in April last year. Of the total `291.27 crore earned in March, `209.24 crore still came through cash.
Ridership figures show that 4.34 crore passengers used TGSRTC services in March, with 3.48 crore continuing to rely on cash. However, officials note that nearly one in four commuters now prefers cashless modes.
Between April 2025 and March this year, the corporation earned `2,959.3 crore, including `652.8 crore (22.06%) through digital payments, while cash collections stood at `2,306 crore (77.94%). During this period, 45.2 crore passengers travelled by RTC buses, of whom 6.56 crore paid digitally.
Officials attribute the trend to the rollout of advanced electronic Ticket Issuing Machines (TIMS), which support UPI, debit and credit card payments, QR code-based payments and the option to book tickets online up to 15 minutes before departure.
A senior official said passengers are now experiencing hassle-free journeys without the need for cash and expressed confidence that digital transactions could cross 50% in the near future.
However, challenges remain. Occasional technical glitches and connectivity issues with ticketing machines have led to delays, with services slowing or halting until network stability is restored.