Thousands of buses return to Telangana roads today as transport unions, Revanth govt break deadlock

Authorities, however, got around 1,000 buses, including 450 electric buses, to ply by temporarily outsourcing the work. In Hyderabad alone, around 3,000 RTC buses ply each day, carrying 26 lakh passengers. Statewide, the corporation operates over 9,300 buses, including about 3,300 hired ones.

The TGSRTC Joint Action Committee had been holding discussions with the state government to fulfil election promises, including pay revision, job security and payment of salary dues.

“The RTC buses will hit the roads early on April 25 once again. The government has given assurance that our other demands will be met in due course,” said E Venkanna to The Indian Express. “The government has also agreed to the pay revision which we proposed.”

The decision comes a day after an RTC driver identified as K Shankar Goud died by suicide. Goud, from Narsampet in Warangal district, was upset with the government not allowing the merger of RTC with the state government, among 32 other demands. He set himself on fire on Thursday in front of the Narsampet bus stand. Goud sustained critical burn injuries and was shifted to a nearby hospital in Warangal.

Several RTC services in the country are run by state governments. Telangana will become one among the many southern state road transport corporations to merge with the government. RTCs in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh are already part of the government rolls. The government has also recognised the unions and would allow union elections in the near future, officials said.