Telangana to Review Auto Fares, Set Up Welfare Board for Drivers
Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar announced a decision on auto fare revision, a welfare board for drivers, and detailed TGSRTC expansions.
Telangana's Transport Minister, Ponnam Prabhakar, announced on Tuesday that the state government will soon decide on revising autorickshaw fares, a long-pending demand from drivers. He noted that fares have remained unchanged since 2012. The announcement was made during a media briefing at Bus Bhavan, where he outlined several initiatives of the Transport department and the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC).
Addressing the concerns of autorickshaw operators, the Minister stated that a dedicated welfare board for autorickshaw workers would be established shortly. In a move to promote cleaner vehicles, the government will also provide financial assistance of ₹1.5 lakh for the retrofitment of petrol and diesel autorickshaws in Hyderabad.
On the performance of the TGSRTC, Mr. Prabhakar highlighted the success of the Mahalakshmi scheme, under which 347.36 crore women have travelled free on buses, leading to an estimated savings of ₹12,167 crore for them. He also reported a significant increase in bus occupancy, which has risen from 67% to 89%.
The corporation has added 2,932 new buses to its fleet, including 1,024 electric buses currently in operation. An additional 2,200 electric buses are planned for the Greater Hyderabad Zone. Furthermore, TGSRTC has launched services on 370 new routes within the city to improve connectivity to areas that previously lacked bus services.
Addressing staffing, the Minister said notifications have been issued for recruitment to 4,538 posts. Recruitment for 1,000 driver and 743 worker positions has been completed, and the government has approved the hiring of 1,500 conductors. He added that union elections will be held, after which the process for merging RTC employees will be finalised. The government has also provided workers with two PRCs and five DAs, with no arrears pending.
In a separate development, Mr. Prabhakar mentioned that proposals are being examined to bring bike taxis under a regulatory framework, potentially through the use of yellow number plates.