RTC receives over 14,000 complaints in seven months
TELANGANA: Complaints against RTC services have surged, with passengers flagging multiple issues ranging from punctuality lapses to staff behaviour, cleanliness and online ticketing problems.
Between January and July, a total of 14,054 complaints were registered. Officials said the complaints were being analysed.
Passengers reported that buses often failed to arrive on time. In several cases, long-distance buses reached destinations but delays in return departures were not communicated, affecting office-goers, students and those travelling to hospitals.
Tracking-related confusion has also drawn criticism. Passengers complained that destination boards and tracking systems showed buses that did not arrive, while buses that arrived were not reflected accurately. Cleanliness issues, overcrowded seating with limited legroom, and buses breaking down on roads were also frequently reported.
Garuda Plus delays cited
A Garuda Plus bus that departed from MGBS reportedly halted for 25 minutes at Dilsukhnagar and 20 minutes at LB Nagar. When passengers assumed the bus had finally resumed its journey, it was halted again for nearly half an hour near a private hotel before Choutuppal. As a result, passengers travelling to Suryapet and Kodad reached their destinations much later than scheduled.
A similar issue was reported on a Lahari service operating on the same route. Passengers said punctuality was missing across several services.
Breakdowns, rash driving, unauthorised halts
Several complaints pointed to buses breaking down due to poor maintenance, forcing passengers to wait on highways until repairs were completed or replacement buses arrived.
Passengers also flagged dangerous driving practices. Some drivers were accused of using mobile phones, earphones or Bluetooth devices while driving. Others allegedly halted buses at unauthorised dhabas and private hotels instead of designated bus stand eateries, causing delays at subsequent urban stops.
Complaint breakup
Among the registered complaints were:
3,177 related to bus delays
1,444 linked to irregular services
1,432 on improper operations
1,016 regarding incorrect scheduling
747 on bus tracking issues
552 on push-back seat problems
544 on unauthorised stops at dhabas and hotels
541 related to online ticketing
535 on bus station facilities
413 service breakdowns
400 air-conditioning issues
396 ticket refund problems
300 rash driving complaints
2,557 categorised as other grievances
Khammam depot tops list
Depot-wise data showed Khammam recording the highest number of complaints, with over 500 cases. Warangal-1 followed with more than 400 complaints. Other depots included Nirmal, Mancherial, Godavarikhani, Sathupalli, Bhadrachalam, Karimnagar-2, Asifabad, Adilabad, Jagtial, Karimnagar-1, Nizamabad-2, Bodhan, Manuguru, Korutla, Vemulawada, Bhupalpally, Armur, Kothagudem and Madhira.
RTC management recently issued instructions to drivers and conductors to behave courteously with passengers following complaints about rude behaviour and lack of basic etiquette.
