Kurnool Tragedy Puts Focus On City’s Bus Mayhem
HYDERABAD: The horrific bus accident near Kurnool has once again highlighted the dangers of unregulated private bus operations between Hyderabad and major cities like Bengaluru, Vijayawada and Mumbai.
Every evening, hundreds of long-distance private buses ply out of the city and stop at Dilsukhnagar, LB Nagar, KPHB, Kukatpally, Miyapur and Lakdi-ka-Pul to pick up passengers and fill empty seats. From 8pm until midnight, these areas turn into makeshift bus stops; Vehicles are parked haphazardly on main roads as drivers scramble to pick up passengers. The result is chaotic traffic, frayed tempers and frequent mishaps.
“Taking a bus here feels like gambling every night. Buses stop in the middle of the road, passengers run between lanes with bags and cars honk their horns non-stop. It’s unsafe for everyone,” said Mohan Reddy, from LB Nagar, who regularly travels to his hometown Anantapur by private bus.
Drivers and citizens also share the same sadness. “We are afraid to pass through Kukatpally after 9 pm. There is hardly any room to move. Two buses are trying to overtake each other while passengers are still boarding,” said Saraswati, a tech worker returning home from Hi-Tec City. “Crossing JNTU and KPHB main roads after 9 pm is a nightmare. Hundreds of private buses pass by at jet speed, blocking the entire road. We can hardly find traffic police to regulate the chaos,” said Sunita, an IT worker who finds it difficult to reach Pragathi Nagar after work.
Experts say the Kurnool tragedy is a grim reminder of what can happen on highways when speed, fatigue and careless schedules collide. Most operators force drivers to maintain punishing timetables to reach Bengaluru or Vijayawada early in the morning; it’s an unwritten rule that encourages speeding within and outside city limits.
Ramchander Reddy, a union leader in RTC, said the real problem lies in the government’s failure to decongest the city by developing satellite bus terminals promised a decade ago at Bharat Nagar, Miyapur, Harina Vanasthali and Aramghar. “The aim of these terminals was to remove private and long-line buses from city traffic, but the proposal remained stalled due to land disputes and administrative delays,” he said.
Until these terminals are implemented, the load on the city’s busiest corridors will continue to increase, and late-night journeys will become a danger for both passengers and commuters. “The government must take action immediately. Otherwise, every night will remain an accident waiting to happen,” warned a transportation official who wished to remain anonymous.
