Travelers in Hyderabad found their plans abruptly halted this Saturday as the Telangana bandh brought all Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) bus services to a standstill. Many were taken by surprise, arriving at major bus depots only to find services suspended. Even those aware of the protest still showed up, holding onto hope that public transport would eventually resume.
The timing couldn’t have been worse; with Diwali celebrations just around the corner on Monday and a long weekend kicking off, bus depots quickly swelled with frustrated passengers eager to reach their hometowns. The widespread protest, backed by major political parties, was organized to press for increased reservations for Backward Classes in rural local body elections.
As public buses remained off the roads, private transport operators seized the opportunity, with cabs and minibuses flocking outside the Jubilee Bus Stand (JBS) in Secunderabad. Fares skyrocketed; a journey that typically costs around ₹300 for an air-conditioned bus ticket to Karimnagar was now being quoted at approximately ₹1,000 per person by private cabs. Similarly, routes to Nizamabad, usually priced between ₹270-350, saw private operators demanding a steep ₹1,500.
JBS transformed into a scene of weary travelers, their bags and backpacks piled around them. Every seat was taken, and many resorted to sitting on stairs, desperately trying to find out when services might resume. Mobile charging points became hotspots of activity as people tried to keep their devices alive. Any sighting of RTC staff immediately drew a crowd, met with the disheartening reply, ‘We know as much as you do.’
Among the stranded was Harish, a private employee residing in Hyderabad, who had pre-booked a TGSRTC ticket to Manthani in Pedapalli. ‘I didn’t see the cancellation message from RTC until I arrived at the depot,’ he admitted, visibly frustrated while waiting at JBS.
Tarun, from Madhapur, was caught in a similar predicament, haggling with a cab driver for a ride to Nizamabad. ‘An AC bus ticket is usually around ₹450, but he’s asking for ₹1,500,’ Tarun explained, adding, ‘I would have driven my own car if I had known about the bandh.’ Out of shared necessity, many strangers on the same platform began pooling together to negotiate better fares for shared rides.
The stories of disrupted travel and inflated prices were countless, with a universal hope echoing among everyone: that normal bus services would return as quickly as possible.