Hyderabad: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) is all set to add another set of Metro Deluxe buses to its existing fleet of 55 that are plying on the roads of Hyderabad. 70 new buses will join the current fleet serving key routes like Uppal, Mehidipatnam, Secunderabad, ECIL, Jagadgirigutta, and LB Nagar.
The new set of Metro Deluxe buses is set to be deployed on high-demand routes across Hyderabad, where buses will operate at intervals of 15-20 minutes to improve frequency. Currently, these RTC buses cover major routes, including Uppal-Mehdipatnam, Secunderabad-ECIL, Koti, and Abdullahpurmet, ensuring better connectivity for the city’s commuters.
The new fleet of buses will hit the roads in Hyderabad by the end of September, a TGSRTC official told Siasat.com.
Unlike the City Ordinary and Metro Express buses, which are covered under the Mahalakshmi scheme, all passengers, including women, will be required to pay fares on the new Metro Deluxe buses. The Mahalakshmi scheme, which currently benefits around 14 lakh women passengers daily, will not apply to these buses.
To address this, TGSRTC is launching the Metro Deluxe buses in phases. With over 80 percent of the city’s bus fleet consisting of City Ordinary and Metro Express buses, the introduction of these buses is aimed at establishing a new revenue stream for the TGSRTC.
The decision comes after the Telangana government’s Mahalakshmi scheme led to a significant reduction in TGSRTC’s ticket revenue, decreasing by approximately 70 percent. An internal inspection revealed that only 30 percent of passengers are currently paying for their tickets.
TGSRTC announces prices of Metro Green Deluxe bus pass
Furthermore, in August, the Greater Hyderabad Zone of TGSRTC announced the prices for the metro green deluxe monthly bus pass at Rs 1450. This pass allows travel not only on Metro Deluxe buses but also on metro express, e-metro express non-AC, and city ordinary buses within the city and suburban limits.
In addition to the metro deluxe pass, TGSRTC is offering several other pass options to cater to different needs.
The Pushpak AC general monthly bus pass at Rs 5000, the Green Metro Luxury AC monthly bus pass at Rs 1900, the metro express monthly bus pass at Rs 1300, and the city ordinary monthly bus pass at Rs 1150.