Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Friday, October 2, launched a common travel pass for TGSRTC buses and Hyderabad Metro Rail, along with the ‘MeeTicket’ mobile application and digital weekly bus passes.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka formally launched the services at Praja Bhavan in the presence of Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, Ministers Vivek Venkataswamy and Mohammed Azharuddin, and senior officials.
The RTC-Metro common pass will allow commuters to use Hyderabad Metro trains and TGSRTC city buses operating within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) limits. Pushpak services are excluded from the scheme.
The common pass will be available at all Metro stations, with a refundable security deposit of Rs 100 for the card.
The daily common pass has been priced at Rs 400, including Rs 300 for Metro travel and Rs 100 for RTC services. The monthly pass costs Rs 8,500, comprising Rs 7,000 for Metro travel and Rs 1,500 for RTC buses.
The government said the integrated pass is aimed at improving first- and last-mile connectivity and encouraging commuters to use public transport, with the broader objective of reducing traffic congestion and vehicular pollution.
MeeTicket app and digital bus passes
TGSRTC also launched the ‘MeeTicket’ mobile application, allowing passengers to purchase bus tickets, select boarding and destination points, make digital payments and receive tickets featuring dynamic QR codes.
The app provides options for daily, weekly and monthly bus passes. A digital weekly bus pass priced at Rs 600 has also been introduced, allowing commuters to purchase and renew the pass through the app without visiting a ticket counter.
Bhatti Vikramarka purchased one-day common passes for the ministers during the launch. Ponnam Prabhakar said the Deputy Chief Minister and other ministers would travel from Begumpet Metro station at 10 am on Saturday, using the common pass to travel first by Metro and then by an RTC bus.
Auto-rickshaw fares revised
The Telangana government has also revised auto-rickshaw fares after 12 years. The earlier fare structure was based on a February 14, 2014 order of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh government.
Under the revised fares, the minimum charge for the first 1.6 km is Rs 30, followed by Rs 14 for every additional kilometre.
Waiting charges have been fixed at 75 paise per minute. A luggage charge of 50 paise will also apply, subject to a maximum luggage limit of 100 kg.
A night surcharge of 1.5 times the normal fare will be applicable between 11 pm and 5 am.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said the government would also begin the process of establishing a welfare board for auto-rickshaw workers.
