NALGONDA: The Telangana State Road and Transport Corporation (TSRTC) has been unable to provide bus services after 8.30 pm towards various destinations along NH 65 from Yadagirigutta. As many as 101 buses depart from the Yadagirigutta depot on a daily basis, and hundreds from across the state provide services to thousands of pilgrims going to Yadagirigutta. On weekdays, as many as 10,000 people visit the temple, and the number rises to 30,000 during weekends, only through buses.
While bus services from Nalgonda, Miryalaguda, Suryapet and Kodad to Yadagirigutta operate from 5 am to 8.30 pm, there are no services from Bhuvanagiri after 8.30 pm. This has been a pertinent issue for the past 10 years. Following the renovation of the temple two years ago, there has been a spike in the number of devotees visiting the temple.
Due to no bus services towards districts after 8.30 pm, the late-arriving devotees are forced to find alternative transportation.
Speaking to TNIE, N Nagender, a devotee from Miryalaguda said, “Since there are not many passengers for the last bus in Bhuvanagiri, the authorities are saying that they are not running another bus,” adding that, “With bus services being provided every half an hour, we urge the corporation to service buses up to 10 pm.”
Another devotee from Suryapet, Ravikumar, said, “Even though buses are packed from morning to evening, officials claim low passenger count as a reason for not providing night services.”
“Devotees coming from Nalgonda are forced to take autos or other modes of transport as there are no bus services after 8.30 pm. Whereas, a few who only choose to travel by bus, travel to Hyderabad’s LB Nagar and then take a bus to Nalgonda. We urge the corporation to provide bus facilities till 10 pm keeping in view the increased traffic,” he added.
Speaking to TNIE, the depot manager at Yadagirigutta, Srinivas, said, “After the renovation of the temple, the number of devotees visiting the temple has significantly increased. But since there are less passengers in the last bus going towards Nalgonda and Suryapet, we are not providing services.”
A tedious journey back
The corporation has been unable to provide bus services after 8.30 pm towards various destinations along NH 65 from Yadagirigutta.
Due to no bus services towards districts after 8.30 pm, the late-arriving devotees are forced to find alternative transportation.
Devotees coming from Nalgonda are forced to take autos or other modes of transport as there are no bus services after 8.30 pm.