Hyderabad
It looks like more hassles are in store for commuters who are already struggling due to the fewer buses in the city. The RTC has decided to stop the operations of another 700 buses in the city. There is a chance further to reduce some more buses step by step. Services are being cut down as profits do not come. Nearly a thousand buses were set aside after the last strike.
Commuters are already being troubled with the lack of enough buses and buses not coming on time. Taking advantage of it, autos and private bus operators are looting commuters. There are 29 depots in the Greater Hyderabad RTC Zone. 3700 buses were running before the 2019 RTC strike.
About 1000 services were cut due to lack of profits. There are currently 2700 buses running in the city. Recently CM KCR conducted a review on RTC and has ordered the reduction of buses on non-profit routes. In the first installment, 700 buses will be taken off the roads. Authorities have also recently issued directives to depots regarding the reduction of buses. There is a chance of reducing 15 to 30 buses from each depot.
Greater Hyderabad accounts for the bulk of RTC losses. At present the income is Rs. 2.5 crore, while the operating cost is Rs. 3.5 crores. On the other hand, it is being publicized that the decision was taken for the benefit of Metro. Currently, the popularity of Metro has declined due to work-from-home in the IT sector and people not looking for entertainment options.