Hyderabad: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) denied any fare hikes during Bathukamma and Dussehra festival. The corporation clarified that ticket prices for special buses were set according to a GO, while regular service fares remained unchanged.

The official further explained that, due to heavy passenger traffic during the festive season, city buses from Hyderabad were rerouted to various districts to ease congestion.

However, these buses often returned to the city empty, as there was no demand for return trips. Citing Government Order No. 16 issued in 2003, the management explained that fare adjustments of up to 50 per cent over regular charges are permitted exclusively on special services. This is done to cover the minimum diesel expenses of buses returning empty after festival rush trips.

During festivals like Sankranti, Dussehra, Raksha Bandhan, Vinayaka Chavithi and Ugadi, passenger demand from Hyderabad to districts surges.

To meet the rush, TGSRTC operates an additional 500 to 1,000 special buses per day, apart from its regular fleet. These special buses alone fall under the fare adjustment provision, while regular services remain unaffected, the TGSRTC said.

The corporation is also running special buses in view of the Bathukamma and Dussehra festivals. The TGSRTC will revise the fares only on the special buses running on September 20th and 27th to 30th as well as on October 1, 5 and 6, said an TGSRTC official.