The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Tired even before the day begins

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Monday, Feb 25, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Tired even before the day begins

S. Sandeep Kumar

It’s a tough grind for engineering students to reach college in packed buses

Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

BALANCING ACT: Buses packed to capacity with students travelling on the footboard is a common sight.

HYDERABAD: These days, more than obtaining a seat in the college, it is a big challenge for scores of students, especially those pursuing engineering studies in private colleges on the city fringes to reach their respective institutions on time.

Whether it is Uppal crossroads, Mehdipatnam junction or any other place, one thing is common – buses packed to capacity and students risking their limbs and lives hanging onto them to travel.

90 colleges

There are over 90 private engineering colleges in and around the twin cities in places like Bhongir, Gandipet, Ibrahimpatnam, Medchal, Moinabad, etc. While many of them do have sufficient buses, those that have a bus facility charge a steep transportation fee.

Transportation fee

The fee charged by private colleges range between Rs. 800 and Rs. 1,200 per student per month, while it costs just Rs. 85 for a student to obtain a buss pass and travel in a RTC bus per month. Naturally, students opt to travel by RTC buses even if they are full during the peak timings.

“Most of my child’s time goes waste in travelling to the college and back as he has to change two buses. Travelling in the college bus can be good but the transportation fee is too high,” points out S.C. Reddy, father of a student pursuing engineering at a private college in Medchal.

High costs

Private college managements throw up their hands and say they cannot bring down the fee as the operating and maintenance costs of running the buses is pretty high. “It costs nearly Rs. 32,000 a month, including drivers’ salaries, cost of diesel and other maintenance charges to operate one bus. If the distance is more, the cost incurred is even more. Operating more buses will be an additional burden because we have to invest nearly Rs. 10-12 lakh to purchase a bus,” explains Consortium of Engineering Colleges Managements Association’s general secretary P. Rajeshwar Reddy.

Interestingly, the A.P. State Council of Higher Education, which sets certain rules, including, staff strength, minimum area required, number of computers etc., for managements to operate a college, does not find transportation of students an important aspect.

Exclusive RTC services

On the other hand, the RTC has been offering and even operating exclusive services for the college but it is being alleged that the private college managements are reluctant to utilise the option fearing loss of the high transportation fee from students.

The RTC had the private colleges to operate in two shifts for the benefit of students as well as the general public to ease the congestion during peak hours, say RTC officials. Over 62 college exclusive buses (54 for engineering colleges) are being operated to pick students of one particular college from different locations.

Fare

The bus pass fare for travelling in these these exclusive buses range from Rs. 325 to Rs. 550 per month depending on the distance (minimum of 16 km distance).

The double advantage for the students is that they can also travel from any location within the twin cities on ordinary buses without paying any extra fare, says APSRTC Deputy Chief Traffic Manager (Hyderabad Zone) S. Suresh Kumar.

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