Why TGSRTC’s Gamyam app is under fire?

HYDERABAD: For Hyderabad’s daily bus commuters, the official Gamyam app from Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) has turned into a source of mounting frustration. Across social media, citizens, techies, and bus advocates vent about an app plagued by inaccuracies, chronic live-tracking glitches, and a lack of meaningful updates, despite Hyderabad’s stature as a global IT hub.

The criticism directed at TGSRTC and government handles highlights a stark contrast between the city’s technological aspirations and the reality of its public transport digital infrastructure.

Software engineer and commuter Sumanth Reddy, in a detailed post, called the app experience awful for the past two years and urged officials to study successful models like the Indian Railways’ Where is my Train app or the Metro’s TSavaari app for inspiration.

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The sentiment was echoed by another social media user, Sharath Reddy, who highlighted the consistent tracking failure of Route 316L (Aramghar to Gachibowli), a vital corridor for IT employees. “The ‘live’ status rarely works,” he posted.

The problems go beyond live tracking. Users report the app frequently fails at basic service discovery when searching for buses between two destinations. Another user, Bhagavan Reddy, shared a screenshot showing the app’s real-time data was grossly inaccurate, displaying a bus at a stop they had already passed minutes earlier.

Gamyam app live tracking failure

The core issue, according to analysts and enthusiasts, lies in the underlying General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data. In a detailed email to HyderabadMail, Sumanth Reddy said, “The GTFS data format contains much misleading and incorrect information, as the number of stops shown on Google Maps based on GTFS data is inaccurate”.

He further added, “The Gamyam App doesn’t always function when searching for buses between destinations. It needs a serious upgrade, as there have been no updates in the last two years.

Seconding the same, Sai Ratna Chaitanya, a bus enthusiast, explained in a social media post that the GTFS data powering both Gamyam and Google Maps is incomplete and misleading. “According to Gamyam, there are stops only at Moosapet, Kukatpally, Ramdev Hospital (no bus stops here), and KPHB,” he noted, indicating major gaps.

“Gamyam is bad for service discovery, yes. Sadly we are stuck with MapMyIndia’s substandard implementation. I don’t see it changing anytime soon. Fixing stop locations needs dedicated work by depot staff. For this there needs to be an acceptance that the data is bad.” added Chaitanya.

Fueling commuter frustration further is the sense that promised digital upgrades remain stuck in limbo. Riders are left wondering about the fate of the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), announced back in 2019, and the ambitious T-Maas vision. Many are now calling for practical fixes, like free Wi-Fi on buses to make digital ticketing possible even in areas with poor mobile connectivity.