Cyberabad police to launch London-style school bus network to cut traffic, ease parent stress

Hyderabad: Every morning, parents face the same stressful routine. They rush to get their kids ready, fight through heavy traffic on two-wheelers or cars to drop them at school, and then race to the office. In the evening, the cycle repeats with school pickups, sports practices and tuition classes.

This daily rush is doing more than just choking city roads.

In some cases, it is causing fatal accidents involving heavy vehicles and two-wheelers. It is also causing high levels of personal stress. Young parents are left exhausted, with little time for their families or themselves, leading to arguments and a loss of peace at home. On top of this, parents are constantly worried about their children’s safety with unverified private school bus staff.

To solve this everyday nightmare, the Cyberabad Police and the Society for Cyberabad Security Council (SCSC) are stepping in with a massive plan to change how students travel in the city.

A system inspired by London transport

Led by Cyberabad Police Commissioner Dr M Ramesh, IPS, the new initiative aims to build a safe, affordable, and closely monitored school transport network. The project takes inspiration from the famous Transport for London (TfL) model used in the UK.

In an exclusive conversation with the NewsMeter, Dr Ramesh shared his game-changer idea to reduce the traffic congestion in the Cyberabad limits.

“Traffic congestion is a visible symptom of deeper coordination gaps,” says Dr Ramesh. He explained that if parents, schools and authorities share a common, verified system, traffic can be greatly reduced.

He further adds, “This is not just about transport; it is about governance, transparency, employment generation and youth engagement.”

How will the system work?

Right now, Cyberabad has about 3,000 school buses. The goal is to take this number to 15,000. By adding more buses and sharing routes across multiple schools, the police hope to take thousands of private cars and bikes off the road. Since one 30-seater bus can replace 30 private vehicles, this move is expected to clear up the streets significantly. The buses will also be available to drop kids off at after-school activities, freeing parents from the midday shuttle run.

Door-to-door help from local women to build trust

One of the biggest concerns for parents is handing their children over to strangers.

The new plan solves this by hiring local women, such as women from Self Help Groups (SHGs), ASHA workers, Anganwadi staff and part-time municipal sweepers as mobility attendants.

These women will be fully background-checked, and their job will be to walk to a child’s doorstep, safely guide them to the bus and hand them over to the onboard attendant. They will do the same during the evening drop-off. This gives parents total peace of mind while creating safe, part-time jobs and extra income for thousands of women in the city, narrates Dr Ramesh, revealing his plan.

Techies to the rescue

To make this run smoothly, the SCSC is evaluating a local tech startup, led by founders Vijay Ganagam, Alfred, Abhinav, and Manish, to serve as the technology partner.

They are building an app that will connect parents, schools and bus operators. Parents will be able to track the buses live. Every vehicle will have CCTV cameras connected directly to the Cyberabad Police Command and Control Centre. The tech is also mapping out smart routes so that buses can pick up students from different schools in the same area.

To keep the service affordable for parents, the SCSC plans to lower costs by bringing in corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds and allowing hospital or corporate advertisements on the buses.

When will it be launched?

Before the targeted launch in June 2026, just in time for Telangana Formation Day, the police will hold large meetings with parents and school management across the city. The goal is to explain the benefits, listen to concerns, and get everyone on board.

Here’s what the new management plan for schoolchildren would be like in Hyderabad soon:

- Plans to increase school buses from 3,000 to 15,000 to reduce daily traffic jams by up to 30%.

- Police-verified women (including ASHA and Anganwadi workers) will be hired to safely walk kids from their homes to the bus.

- A new app will manage routes, while police will monitor bus CCTV cameras in real-time from their control room.

- City-wide meetings with parents and schools will take place before the official rollout.

- Plans to launch by June 2026