Riders EV seek a fixed schedule, electric double-deckers run empty

28 Sep 2023

The electric AC double-decker buses in Hyderabad are running half-empty, despite being deployed on key routes. Commuters appreciate the convenience but complain about the poor frequency and lack of a fixed schedule. The buses are currently running free of cost to raise awareness about electric vehicles, with ridership not being the main concern. Suggestions have been made to consolidate the buses on a single route to improve frequency and visibility.

HYDERABAD: About a month since its launch, the swank fleet of electric AC double-decker buses continue to ply half-empty. And this despite them being deployed on three key routes of the city: Raidurg metro station to Waverock, Jubilee bus station to Salar Jung and around Tank Bund. The six double-decker buses were bought for 2 crore each. While commuters laud the convenience of these double- decker buses, they rue how their poor frequency and lack of a fixed schedule makes them unreliable. In fact, when TOI took a tour in one of these buses recently, all those onboard said that they were using it for the first time.

"I usually take a TSRTC bus, but since I was not getting one and saw this bus coming I hopped onto it. If this becomes regular, it'll be extremely useful as I can get off directly at Gachibowli X Roads," said Manikanta K, working at a corporate hospital in Gachibowli. Another passenger, Sahithi Reddy, an IT professional who boarded the bus at Mindspace, said, "Generally, I get off the metro and takean auto or cab to the office. But today I saw the bus and tried my luck. I was pleasantly surprised. I wish they are more frequent."

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), which is manning the fleet, maintained that the buses were being deployed primarily to create awareness about the potential of electric vehicles. "At present ridership is not the main concern, which is why these buses are running free of cost. The main aim is to raise awareness," the official said.

Currently, the buses start from Sanjeevaiah Park only at 10 am, which is well past morning peak hours. Three of them are head to Cyber Towers and Waverock - with a 15-minute gap between each service - and operate up to 2 pm. Within this span, they barely manage to make two trips. On the JBS-Salar Jung route as well, buses run only till 2 pm. Later, from 4 pm to 8 pm, all six buses ply around Tank Bund. But on either of these routes they do not stop at all TSRTC bus stops, making it tough for passengers to benefit from them.

"Some of these are fantastic routes. The problem, I think, is that they are spread out too thin. I would propose all six buses to operate on a single route to provide better frequency and visibility. A bus coming once in two hours (with vague timings) is as good as it not existing," said Prashanth Bachu, an urban transport specialist.

Other experts agree and add that publicising them is essential. "The goal is to transform the image of city buses and make everyone want to use them daily. These new buses are attractive and can become the ambassador for bus service in Hyderabad," said Shreya Gadepalli, a noted transport expert and founder of UrbanWorks. She added, "Since TSRTC is an organisation that knows how to operate bus services, HMDA should partner with them and operate these on routes with maximum visibility."