HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) has clarified that it is permitted to charge up to 50% more than regular fares on special buses operated during festivals under GO Ms No. 16, issued in 2003.
The order, issued by the Transport department (R&B), permits the APSRTC (later bifurcated into APSRTC and TGSRTC) to revise fares for special services operated to meet additional passenger demand during festival periods.
Officials said the provision was intended to help the transport corporations meet the additional operational costs of running special services, including buses that often return empty after dropping passengers at their destinations. The additional fare, capped at 50% over the regular ticket price, is intended to cover minimum diesel and maintenance costs incurred during the return journey, they said.
The clarification came after former minister T Harish Rao alleged on Saturday that the TGSRTC was increasing fares and burdening passengers.
In a post on X, Harish Rao said the AC bus fare between Hyderabad and Hanamkonda had increased from `410 on August 20 to `570 on September 11, an increase of `160.
He questioned the government over what he described as fare increases without prior notice and demanded that the revised fares be rolled back. He also alleged that the government was offering “freebies” on one hand while increasing transport fares on the other, and warned that the BRS would not remain a silent spectator.