Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) has suspended two specially discounted tickets in the buses within the suburban limits of Hyderabad from January 1, 2024, given the rush of passengers due to free rides for women.
TSRTC Managing Director V. C. Sajjanar announced on Sunday that Family-24 and T-6 tickets will be completely suspended from January 1.
He said the decision was taken in the wake of increased passenger traffic due to the implementation of the Mahalakshmi scheme.
Sajjanar explained that to issue Family-24 and T-6 tickets, the conductors have to see the identity cards of the passengers and have to enter their age. "Due to the increase in traffic due to the Mahalakshmi scheme, the conductors are taking a lot of time to issue Family-24 and T-6 tickets. As a result, the journey time of the services is also increasing. The organization has decided to withdraw Family-24 and T-6 tickets for reasons of inconvenience. These tickets will not be issued from tomorrow," he said.
The new Congress government in Telangana on December 9 started the implementation of the Mahalakshmi scheme, offering free travel for women in TSRTC buses anywhere in the state.
The women can travel for free in Palle Velugu and Express categories of buses in districts and City Ordinary and Metro Express buses in the limits of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
In March, the TSRTC introduced T-6 and Family-24 tickets for affordable and convenient travel options in Hyderabad.
The T-6 ticket, available for women and senior citizens, offered discounted travel options for those travelling between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on City Ordinary and Metro Express buses within the suburban limits of Hyderabad.
The price of the T-6 ticket was Rs 50, significantly lower than regular fare rates.
The F-24 ticket was designed for groups of family and friends who want to travel together. Priced at Rs 300, it was launched for those who want to travel in groups of four on weekends and public holidays within the suburban limits of Hyderabad.
The F-24 ticket allowed travellers to use City Ordinary and Metro Express buses for 24 hours from the time of purchase.
