HYDERABAD: On Saturday, when the TSRTC employees went on a strike, 6,196 buses plied in the state which included TSRTC buses driven by private persons hired as drivers and hired buses. However, on Monday the number fell down to just 5,074 buses being operated across the state, which is just 48.5 per cent of the regular capacity of 10,460 buses. Apart from this, some other modes of transport were mobilized by the government authorities, like cabs, vans and school buses.
However, the number of buses operating in different districts varied across the state. The lowest percentage of buses were operated in Hyderabad, as just 545 of the 2,034 buses were operated in the city on Monday, just around 27 per cent of the total capacity. In most other districts, between 50 to 60 per cent of buses operated. The highest number of buses were operated in Medak district, at 75 per cent of the total capacity.
A senior TSRTC official said on the condition of anonymity, “We are pooling every resource available. Passengers would be facing some problems as there are not enough persons to operate the entire fleet of buses. Soon steps will be taken by the government to ensure smooth travel for people.”
The declining number of buses operated across the state on the ad-hoc arrangement is a serious cause of worry. On Tuesday, due to Dasara festival not many persons will turn up to work, resulting in an even less number of buses on roads. On Wednesday, the schools would reopen and school buses will not be available for transport during the peak hours of morning and evening.