Hyderabad: Rusting iron frames which were once seats, stinking restrooms, and pan stained walls and floors were what once welcomed people to Jubilee Bus Station and Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station, the key hubs for public transport in the city. Over the last six years, however, things have changed. With the Telangana government taking a special interest in modernizing bus stations such as MGBS and JBS, these are now on par with any top-class bus station anywhere in the country, offering plush amenities to passengers.
At MGBS, one of the largest bus stations in Asia in terms of area, things have changed drastically. With an aim to match the infrastructure and facilities that major domestic airports and railway stations offer, modernization works were launched in 2017 and completed in two years.
“It was not an easy task for TSRTC to modernize the entire bus terminal as it had to be redone right from scratch. TSRTC spent nearly Rs 8 crore for the renovation, with everything, starting from toilets, modern food courts, drinking water system, seating, LED lighting system, waiting for halls, platforms, and the parking being revamped,” said Varaprasad, Regional Manager, Rangareddy.
It now also has hi-tech equipment, including LED screens, massage chairs, LED TVs, an AC lounge, CCTV cameras, a command control room, solar panels and also has undergone a facelift to reflect a modern look. The roof and pillars of the station, which were in poor condition, have been given a fresh look with new panels and were provided with rooftop solar panels to save power.
The MGBS is a major bus terminal for TSRTC, with the pre-Covid figures being 90,000 commuters from across the State and beyond every day. Sprawling over 20 acres, MGBS has around 79 platforms for buses heading to AP, Karnataka, and Maharashtra besides various districts of Telangana.
To strengthen security in the bus station, over 120 advanced CCTV cameras were installed covering the entire station. All these cameras are linked to the command control room for round-the-clock surveillance.
During festivals, the number of passengers visiting MGBS goes up to one lakh. Palle Velugu, Express, Deluxe, Super Luxury, Indra A/C, Garuda, and Garuda Plus are some of the buses operated by TSRTC from here.
JBS revamped
The biggest bus station in the city next to MGBS, JBS was in poor condition in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh regime with its infrastructure falling apart due to neglect and paucity of funds. However, the Telangana government has given a new lease of life to the bus station with modernized amenities and improved infrastructure.
Spread over five acres, JBS now sports a new look apart from a host of improved facilities for passengers. For this, TSRTC spent over Rs four crore. A 24-hour inquiry desk was also provided here for visible policing in association with the local police.
As part of renovation works, facilities such as toilets, drinking water, steel benches, fans, new reservoir counters, Wi-Fi, and LED lights have been provided, and towards increasing security, a network of 18 surveillance cameras has been set up. JBS is a key point for passengers headed both for short and long distances from the city and connects Karimnagar, Warangal Rural, Adilabad, Medak and Nizamabad, and other parts to the city. Before Covid-19, on average, around 1,500 buses were operated from here every day, carrying around 20,000 passengers.
