Hyderabad: The RTC recorded a revenue of Rs 67.40 crore in five days due to the heavy passenger rush during the Sankranti festival. Officials said this on Saturday.
Officials said the earnings were collected between January 9 and 13 through ticket fares. This was driven largely by the operation of special buses to clear festive crowds. During this period, the average daily income stood at Rs 13.48 crore. This is significantly higher than the usual daily average of Rs 10.78 crore.
Compared to normal days, the operation of special services resulted in an additional income of around Rs 2.70 crore per day, officials said. The surge in travel demand prompted the corporation to deploy thousands of additional buses across major routes.
RTC Sankranti revenue boosted by special bus operations
Against the backdrop of the Sankranti rush, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation operated 6,431 special buses to cater to passengers travelling to and from their native places. RTC officials said the strategy helped manage crowds while maximising fare revenue during peak days.
However, several passengers complained that the RTC charged higher fares on special buses. They alleged that prices were raised on par with private travel operators. Officials clarified that a 50 percent additional charge was levied on special services as per norms.
RTC authorities said special buses would continue to operate on January 18 and 19 as well. The same additional charges would apply during those days to handle the return rush after the festival.