APSRTC Buses

The APSRTC and the South Central Railway have made elaborate arrangements to minimise inconvenience to commuters. In addition to the fleet of 3,520 buses operating in the city, 211 more buses would be pressed into service on Wednesday. Also, all city buses would make two additional trips on Wednesday, increasing the daily trips from 42,000 to about 50,000. Apart from additional buses, RTC services entering and exiting the city from Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar, Medak, Ranga Reddy and Karimnagar districts would be allowed to take local passengers in the Greater Hyderabad limits. The South Central Railway would run 26 additional MMTS services on the Falaknuma-Secunderabad- Lingampally route.

According to the transport minister, the demands that were accepted included constituting an auto drivers' welfare board, creation of parking places for autos in the city and exemption of green tax on LPG and CNG-run autos. Four unions, BMS, TNTUC, TTUC and TATU, which together control about 2,000 autos, conceded to the minister's request and gave the state time till December 8 to consider their demands. As some auto unions are not participating in the strike, police have been asked to stay alert and provide them security.

Traffic police are also expected to be on the roads in strength in order to keep tabs on those operators who demand exorbitant fare. But by and large, private taxi operators, call centre drivers, seven-seaters and the few autos that dare to ply are set to make a killing from hapless commuters as long as the strike lasts. In view of the auto strike, SCR will run 26 additional MMTS trains in the twin cities. 10 pairs of MMTS services will run between Secunderabad-Lingampalli and Lingampalli-Secunderabad between 9.30 a.m and 6 p.m, with a frequency of 90 minutes. Similarly, 16 additional MMTS services will run between Secunderabad- Falaknuma and Falaknuma-Secunderabad, between 8 a.m and 6 p.m, with a frequency of 90 minutes. Long-distance buses will pick up passengers in the city. Additional buses will be operated from MGBS and CBS by the respective depot managers to Hayathnagar, Kushaiguda, Mehdipatnam, Secunderabad, Borabanda, KPHB, Patancheru, Jeedimetla, Kondapur and Uppal.