Students seek resumption of 118M/U RTC bus service from Mehdipatnam to MANUU campus

Hyderabad: Haseena (name changed) from Falaknuma travels around two hours every day to reach her college, Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), in Gachibowli. Haseena is a first-year MSC Maths student and her classes start at 9 a.m. She has to leave home by 6:30 or 7 a.m to not miss the first session.

Earlier, before the pandemic, she used to take a bus from Falaknuma to Mehdipatnam and another direct RTC bus from Mehdipatnam to MANUU. But due to the pandemic, the only direct RTC bus from Mehdipatnam to MANUU campus, number 118M/U, was stopped in March 2019. Haseena now takes a longer route via Nampally.

MANUU has four boys' hostels and two girls' hostels. Many students and staff take accommodation in hostels outside the campus in Tolichowki or Mehdipatnam. The TSRTC bus was a respite for all these hostelers. In fact, 118 M/U was the only government bus service on the route. But now with the stoppage of the bus service, the students are finding it difficult to make it to the campus on time.

Also, there is no relief even after one reaches the Telecom Nagar bus stop, which is the nearest bus stop to the university. The main gate of the university is another two to three km from the main road. When the RTC bus used to ply, the students who got down at Telecom Nagar bus stop also used to use the bus to reach the campus.

Another student, Asma, who is in her final-year B.Com comes to the university every day from Sangareddy. "There used to be two 118 M/U buses, one in the morning before 9 and one in the evening at 5 p.m," says Asma. Like others, Asma now walks four to six km, both to and from the Telecom Nagar bus stop to the main gate of the MANUU campus. Haseena on the other hand takes an auto from the bus stop to the main gate.

Not just students, the teaching and non-teaching staff are also suffering due to the halting of the bus service.

Representing the students' concerns, Umar Faruq Qadri, the outgoing president of MANUU students' union, wrote a letter to the TSRTC managing director requesting him to resume the bus service. "Some students, teaching staff, and non-teaching staff are coming from far-away places like Sangareddy, Borabanda, Zaheerabad, and Faluknama.

For all these people, this RTC service was very helpful. It would be good if we get it back, two buses from Mehdipatnam to MANUU in the morning at 8 a.m and 8:30 a.m, and two buses from MANUU to Mehdipatnam in the evening, at 1:30 p.m and 5 p.m," urged Umar in the letter.

Representations have been made regarding this issue through email and Twitter to TSRTC and the university administration, Umar added.