Passengers in Hyderabad are opting for air-conditioned RTC buses to avoid the hot weather. However, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) is running low-frequency AC buses in Greater Hyderabad, causing inconvenience to passengers. They are urging the corporation to increase the number of AC buses available. The soaring heat has led to a surge in the number of passengers travelling on AC buses. The demand for AC buses has increased as the scorching heat leaves passengers with no other option to travel in public transport.
While most AC buses are crowded, the number of students and other passengers has also increased in recent months. Passengers feel that the fares of Rs 15 and Rs 20 are justified given the comfort provided by AC buses. However, regular users feel suffocated in non-AC buses due to the scorching heat. A social activist, M Dayanand, has called upon the corporation to increase the number of AC buses on city routes from 100, as they are constantly full.
Shaik Amjad, a passenger at Ameerpet, said, “During the day, it is inconvenient to travel in a regular bus but I was forced to board a non-AC regular bus after waiting for a long time at the bus stop to catch the AC bus.” As temperatures continue to rise, commuters are willing to pay extra for a cool and comfortable journey. However, with the lack of AC buses, city dwellers are also preferring to travel through the metro to reach their destinations. Footfall in the metro across the network has been increasing on most days due to the sweltering heat.
Passengers have taken to social media to urge the corporation to increase the number of AC buses in the city. Dayanand added that with people using more AC buses by shelling out extra money for a cool journey, the corporation may face enough revenue by providing more buses.
