5 months ago
1
The twelvemonth 2025 witnessed a play of churn for the transport assemblage successful Telangana. While the authorities continued to beforehand greenish mobility crossed privately owned vehicles and State-run autobus services, it continued to grapple with the logistical demands of the Mahalakshmi free-travel scheme, adjacent arsenic it importantly hiked the outgo of nationalist transport.
The authorities continued to showcase the flagship Mahalakshmi scheme, which provides escaped question to women and transpersons aboard buses operated by the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC). Till December this year, zero-fare tickets worthy an estimated ₹8,500 crore had been issued since the scheme’s inception.
But, arsenic a consequence, this led to a surge successful ridership and higher occupancy ratios. While the strategy initially strained the corporation’s finances, regular authorities reimbursements helped easiness TGSRTC’s long-standing fiscal stress. However, determination were instances of delays successful reimbursements to the State-run roadworthy transport undertaking.
Parallelly, TGSRTC has sought to amended its presumption by adopting sustainable mobility measures. This saw the Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy-led authorities to denote a replacement of diesel-powered buses with 2,800 electrical buses till 2027. Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar flagged disconnected 65 caller low-floor electrical buses astatine the Ranigunj Depot, expanding the fig of e-buses operating successful TGSRTC’s Greater Hyderabad Zone from 300 to 540.
However, this displacement towards electrical mobility came astatine a outgo to the extremity user. In different words, commuting connected the city’s nationalist buses became much costly for the regular passenger. To facilitate this modulation to sustainable mobility , the transport juggernaut besides had to put substantially successful supporting infrastructure. This included the operation of 10 caller depots and the upgradation of 19 existing ones, requiring an estimated concern of astir ₹392 crore.
As a result, passengers were required to wage ₹5 much for a thrust connected mean buses for the archetypal 3 stages, with fares rising by ₹10 from the 4th signifier onwards. For Metro Deluxe and e-Metro AC services, fares were accrued by ₹5 for the archetypal signifier and ₹10 thereafter. The prices of pupil autobus passes were besides revised upwards.
The incentivisation of electrical conveyance adoption continued during the year, with the State’s EV argumentation offering 100% exemptions connected roadworthy taxation and registration fees. This resulted successful a emergence successful backstage electrical conveyance ownership.
Private buses came nether scrutiny successful October pursuing a gruesome autobus occurrence adjacent Kurnool that claimed the lives of 19 passengers. The incidental laid bare however respective backstage operators had registered their buses successful States specified arsenic Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and, successful this case, Odisha, to debar paying Telangana’s higher quarterly taxes.
In response, the Transport section cracked the whip, booking dozens of cases, issuing scores of inspection reports and seizing vehicles for alleged violations.
These challenges notwithstanding, 2025 besides saw efforts to amended connectivity, with the section identifying hitherto unconnected colonies and neighbourhoods connected the outskirts of the city.
