APSRTC buses: the most preferred means of travel in Hyderabad city

With around 70 lakh population, Hyderabad is one of the most populous cities in India. The city of Hyderabad offers a number of job opportunities, both white-collar and blue-collar; therefore, it attracts people from different parts of India to come to work. A large number of the working population in Hyderabad depends on public transportation to travel. Not just employees, school or college students to job applicants, children to seniors, and housewives to housemaids, almost everyone rides on state-owned public transportation – APSRTC (APSRTC). Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Administration).

Why do people in Hyderabad prefer APSRTC?

Although there are different means of public transportation such as SETWIN buses (sponsored by the state government but not part of APSRTC), MMTS (local trains), cars, rental taxis, etc., APSRTC buses (generally called urban buses / RTC buses) are the most preferred option by many people in Hyderabad.

Many people travel on city buses because:

• Inexpensive – With four rupees, you can travel up to 3 km by ordinary bus in Hyderabad city. You can travel from Dilsukhnagar to Secunderabad (around 13 kms) with just Rs. 11. On a side note, increases in the price of fuel in the state are forcing people to lock their vehicles in their homes.

• Comfortable -People find traveling on city buses more comfortable than traveling in other vehicles, sometimes preferring city buses to their personal vehicles. They do not need to deal with traffic jams, which are common during rush hours in various parts of the city. The seats and ventilation in the buses are very decent. Since these buses are larger, they have better shock absorbers that help a comfortable ride on the uneven roads of Hyderabad.

• Less exposure to pollution – RTC bus seats are much higher off the ground. Unlike cars and other vehicles, passengers will not have a problem with smoke entering the vehicle from the exhaust pipes of other vehicles.

• Safe and secure – Compared to other transportation options, RTC buses are very safe. Drivers are generally well trained and know how to drive in the city. You can see your driving skills on narrow roads with full audience, like in Sultan Bazaar, Koti.

• Convenience: RTC buses cover almost all areas of the city. You will find a bus stop every half km in the city center. Although most buses leave around 6 am, there are some services that will start at 3:30 am in the morning. You can find buses running around the city until midnight.

APSRTC – main player in public transport:

The aforementioned reasons will definitely make them the preferred options for traveling in the city. This may be why APSRTC does a good job of providing transportation to city citizens despite constant revenue losses. We’ll look at some interesting stats about the APSRTC buses (city services only, not district) that made them a popular choice.

• According to the latest statistics, 72% of Hyderabad’s population uses public transport (buses, cars, taxis, MMTS) as their main means of transportation. Of which 98% depend on APSRTC.

• The organization maintains a fleet of buses with more than 4,000 buses that run on different routes that cover almost all areas, not only in the city center but also in suburban areas.

• Every day, RTC buses make almost 40,000 trips in the city, transporting around 36 lakh (on average) of people.

• From 2,480 buses in 2000-02, RTC buses in the city increased to 3,521 buses in 2009-10.

Types of RTC buses that can be found on Hyderabad roads:

There are a variety of RTC bus services in Hyderabad. The fare of the bus depends on the level of comfort it provides.

• Ordinary: more than 2,000 ordinary urban buses circulate in the city. These buses are one of the cheapest ways to travel in the city. By just paying Rs.5 / – we can travel up to 4 kms on these buses. These buses are painted in white and orange colors and the minimum fare on these buses is Rs.4 / – (up to three bus stops). These buses are always full; Unless you get on the bus at the start stop or if it is a strange time (late afternoon or evening), you will rarely get a seat to sit.

• Metro Express: Around 1,215 Metro Express buses circulate through the city. While ordinary buses stop at every stop, Metro Expresses will only stop at the main bus stops. The minimum fare on these buses is Rs 6. They are a bit bigger and a bit roomy than normal buses and are usually painted blue.

• Metro Express JNNURM: These are special buses that are authorized to the city under the JNNURM scheme (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission). Although the fares and stops are similar to those of the Metro Express, they look different. These buses are longer and wider with semi-low floors. These buses have LED displays that show the bus number; The origin of the bus and the stops along the route are also displayed. You can find them in white and blue. CNG buses are also introduced and around 147 CNG Metro Express buses currently operate in the city.

• Metro Deluxe: Deluxe buses stop in fewer places than Metro Express buses and are painted green. The minimum fare on these buses is Rs. 8 / – and we can find special seats on these buses. As of now, around 50 Deluxe buses circulate around the city.

• Veera: Although Deluxe and Veera are the same, they differ in their appearance. These buses are blue in color, have LED screens, and also have semi-low floors. Ticket rates are the same again. These buses were launched during the 2002 National Games to transport players. Hence, they got the name Veera, who was the mascot of the National Games.

• City Sheetal: these buses offer maximum comfort. The City Sheetals are fully air-conditioned, have a special seating arrangement, pushed-in rear seats, ample legroom and plenty of room for passengers to climb aboard. You cannot find the footwell travel on these buses as the doors are completely locked and the driver opens and closes the automatic door at each stop. You can find them in green color and the minimum fare on these buses is Rs. 10 / -. There are currently 86 City Sheetals operating in the city.

• Minibuses: They are the last to arrive in the city, popularly called Charminar minibuses. They are small in size compared to the other buses, with less capacity of 32 to 40 seats. As of now, they are only operated in the Charminar area as they are specially designed to navigate the narrow streets of the old city. The fares of the tickets are similar to those of the normal buses and you can find them in white and red colors.

The huge fleet of buses, the economical fare, the comfortable journeys and, above all, the RTC buses allow a safe journey for all passengers. It may be that these are more than enough to become a common man’s choice.