Hyderabad: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) announced that there will be no fare increases for Bathukamma and Dussehra festivals. They stated that ticket prices for special buses follow a government order, while regular bus fares stay the same.
Due to the high number of travelers during the festivals, many city buses from Hyderabad were redirected to different districts to handle the crowd. However, these buses often returned empty since there were fewer passengers for the return journey. The management referred to Government Order No. 16 from 2003, which allows fare increases up to 50% above normal rates for special buses. This helps cover the cost of diesel when buses return empty after festival trips.
During festivals like Sankranti, Dussehra, Raksha Bandhan, Vinayaka Chavithi, and Ugadi, many people travel from Hyderabad to other districts. To accommodate this demand, TGSRTC runs an extra 500 to 1,000 special buses daily, in addition to their regular services. Only these special buses have adjusted fares, while regular buses are not affected.
For the Bathukamma and Dussehra festivals, TGSRTC is running special buses. The fare changes will apply only to special buses operating on September 20th, 27th to 30th, and October 1st, 5th, and 6th, according to a TGSRTC official.
