Commuters who have been walking long distances to catch a bus on account of no bus stops may be in for a relief as the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) has embarked on a move to revive bus stops which were relocated or removed.
These bus stops were removed or relocated due to several reasons which include road widening, traffic issues, and making space for the Hyderabad Metro Rail infrastructure. TSRTC officials said that there are dozens of defunct bus stops across the Greater Hyderabad Zone.
“For instance, on the route from Osmangunj to Gandhi Bhavan, till some time ago, there were three bus stops: Moazzamjahi Market, one near Goshamahal Crossroads, and Kamala Nehru Polytechnic for Women. We are planning to revive such bus stops. This will help a lot people who use buses to travel,” Executive Director (GHZ) V Venkateshwarlu said.
At the moment, the enumeration of such bus stops is in progress. Deport managers have been directed to take necessary steps to identify and take steps to revive them. The exercise could take a few weeks to complete. The TSRTC is likely to discuss the issue with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Traffic Police and HMRL authorities, so as to have all stakeholders on board.
Another official said that the move could encourage a larger number of people to take buses, and remove confusion. “While buses are halting at some of the stops so that people can disembark, we are seeing people not getting onto buses from these locations. This is because there is confusion due to bus stops being removed,” he said.
Transport researcher and bus enthusiast GSR Chaitanya welcomed the move of reviving bus stops, and said that bus users should not have to walk long distances to catch a bus. “The idea is that buses should be accessible to users and they should not walk too much. Studies say that there should be a bus stop every 500 metres and walking around 250 metres is acceptable,” he said, adding that bus stops should be located at points of interest, such as educational institutions, and not just where there is space.
In another effort to encourage the public to use buses, the TSRTC’s own cultural troupe will perform skits, sharing information of the transport juggernaut’s facilities, such as bus passes for different kinds of beneficiaries and the Parcel, Cargo and Courier Service, at strategic locations. The TSRTC hopes that by means of underscoring the benefits of using its buses, the occupancy and revenue would increase.
