HYDERABAD: The gruesome bus accident near Kurnool has once again exposed the perils of unregulated private bus operations between Hyderabad and major cities such as Bengaluru, Vijayawada and Mumbai.
Each evening, hundreds of long-distance private buses roll out of the city, making stops at Dilsukhnagar, LB Nagar, KPHB, Kukatpally, Miyapur and Lakdi-ka-Pul to pick up passengers and fill vacant seats. Between 8 pm and midnight, these stretches turn into makeshift bus bays, with vehicles parked haphazardly on main roads as drivers scramble to collect passengers. The result is chaotic traffic, frayed tempers and frequent mishaps.
“Catching a bus here feels like a gamble every night. Buses stop in the middle of the road, passengers run between lanes with bags, and cars honk endlessly. It’s unsafe for everyone,” said Mohan Reddy, a commuter at LB Nagar who regularly travels to his native place, Anantapur, by private bus.
Motorists and residents share the same frustration. “We dread passing through Kukatpally after 9 pm. There’s barely any space to move. Two buses try to overtake each other while passengers are still boarding,” said Saraswati, a tech employee who drives home from Hi-Tec City. “Crossing JNTU and KPHB main roads after 9 pm is a nightmare. Hundreds of private buses zip past at jet speed, blocking the entire stretch. We hardly find any traffic cops to regulate the chaos,” said Sunita, an IT employee who struggles to reach Pragathi Nagar after work.
Experts say the Kurnool tragedy is a grim reminder of what happens when speed, fatigue and reckless scheduling collide on highways. Most operators push drivers to maintain punishing timelines to reach Bengaluru or Vijayawada by early morning — an unwritten rule that encourages overspeeding both within and beyond city limits.
Ramchander Reddy, a trade union leader with RTC, said the core issue lies in the government’s failure to decongest the city by developing satellite bus terminals that were promised over a decade ago at Bharat Nagar, Miyapur, Harina Vanasthali and Aramghar. “These terminals were meant to shift private and long-route buses out of city traffic, but the proposal remains stuck due to land disputes and administrative delays,” he said.
Till these terminals materialise, the burden continues to fall on the city’s busiest corridors, turning late-night travel into a hazard for both passengers and commuters. “The government must act now. Otherwise, every night will remain an accident waiting to happen,” warned a transport official who requested anonymity.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
