RTC Plans Mini Bus Services in Old City

Hyderabad: Transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Saturday said the TGRTC would operate mini-buses on routes where Setwin (Society for Employment Promotion & Training in Twin Cities) was running its services using smaller buses, particularly in the Old City. They would also be used to link with MMTS stations.

The minister, during his reply to the discussion on demands for budgetary grants to his department, was responding to a question from AIMIM MLA Jaffar Hussain, who sought introduction of mini buses in the Old City where larger buses cannot move freely.

Prabhakar said the RTC was in the process of procuring the mini-buses, and these will also be used to provide last mile connectivity to and from MMTS train stations. He said the new vehicles would not be handed over to any other department but would be operated by the RTC itself.

Ponnam Prabhakar told the Assembly on Saturday that law and order in Telangana was being maintained “very properly” and that religious conditions were “completely peaceful.”

Responding to the debate on Budget demands of the Home department, he lauded the services of police personnel who risked their lives during floods and ensured strong security at major festivals including Sri Rama Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Bonalu, Ganesh immersion, Ramzan, Moharram and Medaram Jatara.

He noted that several Maoists, including top leaders Devji and Malla Rajireddy, had surrendered, reflecting the changing situation in the State. He added that the Future City commissionerate had been established in line with the capital’s expansion.

Prabhakar highlighted innovations such as C‑Mitra, a virtual help desk for cybercrime victims, and the T‑Safe app for women. He said international events including Miss World, the Global Summit, and a football match featuring Lionel Messi were conducted with strong security. He pointed out that Shamirpet police station was ranked the seventh best in the country for its “Very Fast App” used in passport verification.

The minister said the government had started a Young India Police School for children of police personnel and signed an agreement with Ambedkar Open University to help 30,000 staff earn graduate degrees. He also cited the Arrive Alive road safety programme and the creation of a tourist police wing. The National Human Rights Commission, he reminded, had praised Telangana police performance.

Prabhakar said the fire department had been modernised as the Telangana Fire, Disaster Response, Emergency and Civil Defence Department, saving thousands of lives through 147 fire stations and assembling 104‑metre hydraulic platforms for tall buildings. He added that the prisons department was focusing on reformation, with a new district jail opened at Siddipet, rehabilitation centres and training classes to wean inmates from intoxicating habits.

He informed the House that revenue was being generated through the Special Protection Force, with large allocations for ex‑servicemen and 100 per cent disabled soldiers. A scheme to help poor prisoners pay bail and fines was also being effectively implemented, he said.