Commuters now pay ₹10 per toll gate crossed; unions raise alarm over delayed government reimbursements under free travel and concession schemes.
Hyderabad: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) has begun adding toll charges to regular ticket fares, effectively increasing costs for fare-paying passengers. The move was implemented along with a bus pass fare hike on June 9.
Under the new structure, passengers will be charged Rs 10 for each toll gate the bus crosses. For example, passengers travelling from MGBS to Jedcherla — where the bus crosses two toll plazas — will now pay an additional Rs 20 on top of the existing Rs 130 fare, raising the total to Rs 150.
TGSRTC officials said the decision was driven by a rise in toll charges and was necessary to meet breakeven costs. They also cited increasing diesel prices and higher maintenance expenses as contributing factors. However, the fare hike is expected to impact ticket sales. Passenger numbers, especially among male travellers, have already declined following the launch of the Mahalakshmi free travel scheme for women.
Trade unions have also raised concerns, pointing out that the state government’s reimbursements under the Mahalakshmi scheme are being delayed every month. In addition, the state provides travel concessions to 17 different categories, including journalists, boy students and NGO staff. These concessions are estimated to cost the government around Rs 700 crore annually, but unions allege there has been no clear response from the government on covering these expenses.
