Telangana: With biz hit, stall owners at RTC bus stands seek relief

HYDERABAD: The livelihood of hundreds of families’, who depend on income from the commercial establishments located in RTC bus stands and complexes, has been badly affected due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The business was nil during lockdown for two-and-a-half months up to May 31 but it has not revived despite the lockdown being eased and the TSRTC management resuming bus services in the districts.
TOI spoke to the stall owners who said while the business is almost nil in eateries as people are scared to eat outside food, others stores such as book stalls and xerox centres are hardly making 20 percent business when compared to the transactions during pre-pandemic days.
“I have been running a tea-cum-coffee stall earning Rs 2,500 to 3,000 per day during pre-pandemic days. After reopening the shops in the bus stand from June second week, there has hardly been any business. Earning even Rs 200 to 300 per day has become difficult. Only few people are coming for coffee or tea,” said Ashok Kumar of RTC complex at Nalgonda.
While almost all the commercial establishments are closed in the RTC bus stands located in Greater Hyderabad, including the Mahatma Gandhi Bus station, Dilsukh Nagar and Jubilee Bus station have a couple of stores open. “The city bus services have not been resumed. Not many people are travelling by buses. Most of the buses are plying with 25 per cent 30 per cent occupancy,” said Ganesh Kumar, running a stall at Jubilee Bus Station.
In the bus stands located in the districts, stall and shop management said the income has fallen drastically. “What we are earning is not even sufficient to pay the electricity bills. Many of us have borrowed money on huge interest to manage our home during this pandemic,” said Kamesh Babu who is managing a stall in Khammam bus stand.
They have urged the TSRTC management and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to waive off the rentals for first two months of lockdown and give 80 percent rebate for the months of June, July and August.