| If you were a child in the early 1990s in a quieter | | | | employees. A higher compensation along with |
| Hyderabad, you may remember going to school in | | | | higher standards of safe driving will serve both |
| double-decker buses, with everyone racing to | | | | the employees of RTC as well as create better |
| grab the best seats in the front of the top deck. | | | | transport facilities to commuters. |
| For a kid finding that seat was priceless! | | | | Newer designs will allow better features, |
| At one time Hyderabad had a decent fleet of | | | | accessibility, mileage, and pollution control. Double |
| double decker buses. These used to ply on the | | | | Deckers running on CNG may reduce the pollution |
| then busiest roads i.e. Afzalgunj to Secunderabad | | | | in the city. |
| going through Abids, Nampally station road, Koti, | | | | You don't need to run the double decker during |
| Assembly, and Paradise etc. Many will remember | | | | non-peak hours. Alternatively, a smaller number of |
| their school days with rides on 8A and 7 | | | | them can be put to use during non-peak hours. |
| numbered double decker buses. | | | | Yes, it looks as wastage. As the Guru of |
| The roads are insufficient to match the | | | | Production Planning Eli Goldratt outlines - |
| continuous increase in vehicles and people. Traffic | | | | manufacturing equipment should be designed for |
| congestion is increasing every month. The fact is | | | | peak load and surplus capacity in non-peak load is |
| that in the next 20 years there will be more | | | | the investment required for smooth functioning |
| people in urban areas than in rural areas | | | | during peak load. Refer to his book 'The Goal' for |
| worldwide. We need to be ready with newer | | | | details on this concept. |
| systems to be able to cope with our cities having | | | | The vehicles of many people holding positions of |
| probably 4-5 times the current populations. We | | | | responsibility both in Government elected and |
| need to get ready from today to have viable | | | | administrative departments are made bullet proof. |
| options at that time. | | | | They are protected by trained people, where the |
| A double decker bus can accommodate 63 seats | | | | state spends significantly on training and regularly |
| compared to 36 seats in a regular bus. In addition, | | | | on maintenance. Compared to home guards and |
| it has a larger standing space for people. The best | | | | constables having a lathi and a World War I 303 |
| part is that it takes lesser area on the road to | | | | rifle, the commandos and bodyguards get the |
| carry more number of people. Simply put, it is like | | | | latest Pistols and semi-automatic weapons. These |
| a 2 floor building - same road area but more | | | | are all required to be able to protect the small |
| people can be moved in a double decker! | | | | number of responsible people who make the |
| While new buses have been added, no new | | | | government work. Cost should not be an issue on |
| double deckers have been added to the fleet. A | | | | such important things. |
| cricket team needs to carry a couple of spinners | | | | Similarly, Hyderabad may need about 100 double |
| in the team of 11 for balanced bowling | | | | decker buses at most to help make the |
| combination. In the same way, we need a small | | | | commute bearable during peak hours. The |
| portion of double decker buses in the City RTC | | | | alternate is a ride called hell on earth. Cost should |
| fleet. | | | | not be an issue. |
| Imagine a double decker bus reserved for women | | | | Compared to other State RTCs, APSRTC is a |
| and children from Kukatpally to Koti or from | | | | pioneer and has done many innovations. |
| Secunderabad to AS Rao Nagar during peak hours | | | | Segregating the buses into regular, Veera, Metro |
| in morning or evening. Can you imagine the | | | | Liner, and Metro Express is one example. |
| difference in commuting in a double decker during | | | | However, on the double decker buses there is |
| a peak hour? It will be a fantastic service to the | | | | need for more initiative from APSRTC. Taking a |
| hard working middle class families that make all | | | | monopoly on road transportation in the city |
| the good things happen in Hyderabad! | | | | without serving the needs is irresponsible, |
| A double decker driving privilege can be given only | | | | in-human and unethical. |
| to the best drivers, thereby motivating the RTC | | | | |