Telangana Road Transport Corporation to add 2,200 electric buses to fleet soon
Hyderabad, May 27
The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation will soon add 2,200 electric buses to its fleet, state Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar Goud said on Wednesday.
Flagging off 60 electric buses at Kukatpally depot here, he said currently 960 electric buses are operational in Telangana, and another 2,200 buses will soon become available.
The minister said as part of the green challenge, the TGSRTC is introducing EVs with the aim of controlling pollution and strengthening public transportation.
The government remains committed to initiatives such as free travel for women, the welfare of RTC employees, and the establishment of new depots, he said.
The minister inaugurated 60 electric buses by lighting the ceremonial lamp and waving the green flag.
He revealed that currently, 960 electric buses are operational across the state, with 545 of these EVs providing services within Hyderabad city alone. A total of 580 buses are operating under inter-city services.
The minister said that the deployment of a total of 3,000 electric buses has the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 600 tonnes.
He explained that EV vehicles are being promoted specifically to prevent Hyderabad from turning into a polluted city like Delhi. He also added that everyone is well-aware of the impact that petrol and diesel prices have on public transportation.
The minister mentioned that the RTC currently operates a fleet of 10,000 buses and nearly 1,000 of these buses are electric buses.
Stating that 35 lakh passengers utilise RTC services daily across Hyderabad, he said the introduction of electric buses helps reduce both traffic congestion and pollution.
The minister stated that the Congress government has implemented several reforms within the RTC since assuming power. He remarked that, through new recruitments and the induction of new buses, the Telangana RTC is emerging as one of the premier organisations in the country.
He emphasised that the government remains committed to the welfare of RTC employees. He announced that, on the second Tuesday of every month, District Managers (DMs), Regional Managers (RMs), and other senior officials would hold discussions specifically to address the employees' grievances.
He added that elections for the recognition of RTC trade unions would be conducted shortly, following which meetings would be held with union representatives to resolve pending issues.
The minister revealed that, under the 'Mahalakshmi Scheme,' women have utilised a total of 310 crore tickets to date. He noted that, in addition to providing free travel facilities for women, the government is also taking steps to empower them by enabling them to become bus owners.
Kukatpally MLA Madhavaram Krishna Rao, MLC Naveen, TSRTC MD Nagireddy, Medchal District Collector Manu Choudhary, and others participated in this program.
— IANS
Reader Comments
310 crore tickets used by women under Mahalakshmi scheme - that's amazing! 🚌💪 It's saving a lot of families money. But I hope they fix the frequency issue during peak hours. Sometimes we wait 30+ minutes for a bus and when it comes, it's already packed. More buses is good, but they need to be on time too.
I moved to Hyderabad for work and the traffic is insane. Electric buses are a step in the right direction, but the real issue is road infrastructure and congestion. You can have the cleanest buses in the world, but if they're stuck in traffic jams for hours, what's the point? Also, 35 lakh passengers daily - that's more than many countries' entire populations!
The idea of making women bus owners is interesting. But first, RTC needs to stop running losses. Free travel is a populist move, and while it helps the public, the financial burden on the corporation is real. The minister talks about employee welfare and new depots, but what about the backlog of pending employee salaries? Show us the numbers, not just promises.
As someone who takes the bus daily, I'm happy to see electric buses coming in. They are quieter and don't smell like diesel. 😊 But the minister should also focus on smaller routes - not just Hyderabad city. In rural Telangana, bus connectivity is still poor. Also, what about the old buses? They should be scrapped properly, not left to rust somewhere.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.