Committee to Study Loss-Making RTC Depots in Telangana

Hyderabad: The transport department on Thursday discussed measures to strengthen the TGSRTC fleet, recruit staff, a possible fare revision, and implementing a driver-monitoring system to reduce accidents. The meeting, chaired by transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar, had TGSRTC managing director Y. Nagi Reddy and senior officials participating.

The meeting focused on forming a committee to study loss-making RTC depots — especially at Tandur, Vikarabad, BHEL, Miyapur, Kushaiguda, Dilsukhnagar, Hakimpet, Ranigunj, Mithani — and recommend corrective measures to make them profitable.

Officials discussed plans to set up a major bus terminal in the proposed Fourth City, in line with the Chief Minister’s vision, and the transfer of land from the police to the RTC to construct a modern bus terminal at Aramghar on the lines of the one at the Jubilee Bus Station. Prabhakar also asked for a study on the feasibility of building a bus terminal at Uppal.

Land surveys for new depots must be completed in line with the city’s growing population and submitted to the government with the support of district collectors, the minister said. Prabhakar directed authorities to take action on seized vehicles lying idle in depots for long periods.

The minister directed officials to prepare an action plan to increase the number of buses in line with rising passenger numbers in the city.

Another proposal under review is reducing the probation period for conductors appointed under compassionate grounds from three years to two. The RTC has issued notifications to recruit 1,000 drivers and 743 labour posts, with interviews underway under the Police Recruitment Board. Notifications for 84 traffic supervisor trainee posts and 114 supervisor trainee posts will be released by the end of December.

The minister reviewed the driver-monitoring system being used on Lahari, Rajadhani and Garuda buses in the first phase. The system not only detects signs of driver fatigue but also alerts them when they are distracted or using mobile phones.

The minister said around 500 electric buses are operating in the city, and the 2,000 buses allotted to Hyderabad under the PM E-Drive scheme will be delivered in phases. Charging-station infrastructure must be readied accordingly, he said. So far this year, 578 buses have been added to the fleet statewide, and more will be deployed, especially in high-demand areas.