Hyderabad: The RTC proposes to start its bus services in the city an hour later, at 6 am, as it seeks to cut costs.
After the strike ended on November 29, RTC began focusing on areas where it could save money. It is studying routes where the revenue is less, occupancy low and the timings when occupancy is low on certain routes to try and rationalise services.
As part of this plan, services which used to start at 5 am will now leave at 6 am. Between noon and 2 pm, when the number of commuters is seen to reduce, the RTC will run fewer buses.
The RTC has assessed the 2 pm-9.30 pm slot as peak hours and will press more buses to cater to the increased number of commuters. After 9.30 pm, buses will return to the depots.
Mr Shekar, an RTC employee, said “One reason is to cut expenses and another, I feel, in keeping the security of women conductors in mind. That is why the management is trying to introduce this strategy.”
If the RTC does start its services later, it will affect hundreds of students who go to coaching classes early in the morning as well as sportspersons who head to the practice grounds. One example would be former Team India cricket player Ambati Rayadu, whose father would take him to the Gymkhana ground in the first bus to reach by 6 am.
The pre-dawn services are also used by hundreds of passengers who return to the city on trans and long-distances buses.
