Hyderabad

The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) will soon add 2,200 electric buses to its fleet to strengthen public transport and reduce pollution, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar Goud said on Wednesday. He flagged off 60 electric buses at the Kukatpally depot in Hyderabad. The minister said 960 electric buses are currently operating in the state, including 545 in Hyderabad city and 580 in inter-city services. He said the new additions will take the total EV fleet to around 3,000 buses in the coming months.

He said the government’s “green challenge” aims to cut pollution and modernise public transport. He added that electric buses are being promoted to prevent Hyderabad from becoming as polluted as cities like Delhi. He also noted that rising petrol and diesel prices are affecting transport costs, making EV adoption necessary.

The minister said TGSRTC currently runs about 10,000 buses and serves nearly 35 lakh passengers daily across Hyderabad. He said the introduction of electric buses will help reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions, with an estimated reduction of around 600 tonnes of CO2 once the full EV fleet is deployed.

He highlighted several welfare measures, including free travel for women under the Mahalakshmi Scheme, which has seen 310 crore tickets used so far. He also said the government is working to empower women further, including steps to help them become bus owners.

The minister said the Congress government has introduced reforms in RTC, including new recruitments and fresh bus inductions, making it one of the leading transport organisations in the country. He also assured continued focus on employee welfare, announcing monthly grievance meetings with senior officials and upcoming trade union elections to resolve pending issues.

Kukatpally MLA Madhavaram Krishna Rao, MLC Naveen, TSRTC MD Nagireddy, and Medchal District Collector Manu Choudhary attended the event.