BRS MLAs take bus ride to protest RTC fare hike

In a protest against the recent increase in Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) bus fares, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLAs D Sudheer Reddy, Kaleru Venkatesh, and Mutha Gopal boarded an RTC bus on Tuesday, traveling from Nampally Exhibition Grounds to the Telangana Legislative Assembly alongside regular commuters. The move aimed to highlight the impact of the fare hike on ordinary citizens.

According to an official party statement, passengers expressed their frustration over the additional financial burden. "Several passengers said the fare hike was costing them up to ₹500 extra per month - an amount that is unsustainable for low-income families. Some even raised slogans against the Congress-led state government," the statement read.

Speaking to the media at the Assembly bus stop, the MLAs criticized the Congress government, calling it anti-poor. Sudheer Reddy stated, "This fare hike is yet another proof that the Congress administration does not care about the common man." His colleagues, Kaleru Venkatesh and Mutha Gopal, added that the increase, along with previous hikes in vehicle taxes and liquor prices, shows a pattern of financial pressure on ordinary citizens.

The MLAs also accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of seeking ways to burden the public financially. "There seems to be a deliberate strategy to push RTC into a deeper financial crisis, using fare hikes as a tool," they said. Particular concern was expressed over the increase in student bus pass charges. Mutha Gopal remarked, "First, they burdened students, and now everyone else. Is this the so-called ‘change’ promised by the Congress - heavier financial pressure on the poor?"

Earlier, BRS working president KT Rama Rao condemned the Telangana government’s decision to raise city bus fares in Hyderabad by ₹10, calling it a "cruel conspiracy" to exploit poor and middle-class commuters. The new fares came into effect on October 6, 2025.

KTR criticized the hike at a time when prices of essential commodities are already rising, questioning how underprivileged and daily wage earners would cope with the extra financial burden.

Reiterating their party’s commitment to supporting economically weaker sections, the BRS leaders said they would continue to pressurize the government until the fare hike is withdrawn.