BRS slams govt. for RTC fare hike, wants immediate rollback

HYDERABAD

Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has intensified its protest against the excessive increase in TGSRTC city bus fares. Party leaders, led by working president KT Rama Rao, went to Bus Bhavan in RTC buses from different parts of the city on Thursday to meet the Managing Director of the company demanding return.

In a memorandum submitted to TGSRTC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Y. Nagi Reddy on Thursday, Mr. Rama Rao demanded immediate withdrawal of the increased fees. He urged the Congress Government to roll back the wage increase, stating that it has imposed a heavy burden on the citizens of Hyderabad. He also asked the government to solve the RTC’s core problems and urgently fulfill its promises to its employees.

Alleging that the city bus fare hike was a deliberate attempt by the Congress Government as part of its plans to privatize the public transport company, Mr. Rama Rao said the bigger plan was to monetise TGSRTC’s assets, especially land. He argued that the government was actively trying to financially cripple the RTC.

When BRS leaders tried to know the status of dues to the Corporation from the government during their meeting with the RTC MD, the latter informed them that ₹ 1,353 crore related to the Mahalakshmi free bus scheme was pending. BRS leaders also stated that the previous (BRS) government had released ₹9,246 crore as grant to RTC.

Before the BRS leaders went to the RTC headquarters (Bus Bhavan) in RTC buses from different places to interact with passengers on the fare hike issue, there was heavy police deployment at the residences of key party leaders, including MLAs and others, preventing them from going out, but this was later eased.

Speaking to the media after meeting the RTC MD, Mr. Rama Rao questioned the logic behind the hike and said that they welcomed free bus travel for women but the number of buses should be increased. The RTC was charging men twice as much to offset women’s right to free travel. He stated that it was cruel to increase the ticket price with one hand while providing free service with the other. Mr. Harish Rao said that the government has increased bus fares by 5 times in the last 22 months.

Senior leaders of the party T. Harish Rao, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, T. Padma Rao Goud, P. Sabitha Indra Reddy, KP Vivekanand, D. Sudheer Reddy and others traveled from different places to Bus Bhavan where they were arrested and only a few received permission to meet the MD.