Hyderabad: In a setback to the already cash-strapped Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC), some conductors and outsourced drivers have been caught misusing the Mahalakshmi free bus travel scheme for women.Instead of issuing tickets correctly, they allegedly handed out ‘zero tickets’, meant exclusively for women, to senior citizens and rural passengers who often could not read ticket details, thereby pocketing the fare.In the past, when regular RTC conductors attempted similar fraud, they faced immediate dismissal, which deterred others from repeating it. However, since many electric buses, including express services, were deployed on a hired basis in recent times, a section of staff have resorted to this practice, with inspections recently finding male passengers holding zero tickets.Alarming revelations surfaced during inspections, with some conductors even generating more zero tickets despite having fewer passengers on board. Further irregularities surfaced on inter-state routes, including Hyderabad-Vijayawada, where drivers accepted fares lower than the official ticket price, allotted seats to passengers, and kept the difference for themselves.The share of hired buses from private companies account for nearly 30% of RTC’s fleet, including a significant number of electric buses. While RTC pays these companies a fixed rate per km, the companies themselves provide drivers. In response, RTC has started imposing penalties on the firms employing such staff.Following a series of surprise checks, TGSRTC identified multiple instances of misconduct and suspended 20 staff members in Aug. According to RTC officials, to counter this, inspection teams are being strengthened, and detailed checks are being carried out. Since many of these attempts occur after crossing state borders, inter-state inspection teams have also been deployed.“Such practices severely damage RTC’s revenue. Anyone caught misusing zero tickets or allowing passengers to travel without valid tickets will face immediate suspension. More inspection teams are being deployed to monitor and curb these violations,” said a senior official in TGSRTC.
