Hyderabad: Mounika lost her leg, others lose footing

HYDERABAD: When 17-year-old Mounika, a student of Avanthi College, fell off the front door footboard of a crowded RTC bus no. 464 on November 1, it left the student community shocked and angry. Mounika, who is the first in her family to pursue higher education, lost both skin and muscle of her left leg after it got crushed under rear wheel of the bus, ending her dreams of leading a normal life.
While she continues to battle in the ICU, her fellow students held a dharna at the Ibrahimpatnam bus depot on November 2 over the poor frequency of buses. Though RTC officials promised them to deploy two more buses at peak hours in the morning and evening, bus drivers resorted to delaying the services.
"It could have been any of us," said Rushikesh, a student of Avanthi college. "Usually, students think they can hang on crowded footboards. However, in reality we all can slip and fall anytime. But what other choice do we have? We have 75% compulsory attendance and latecomers are marked absent."
Not just students, but their families are also worried, hoping no one else suffers same fate as Mounika did at the Dilsukhnagar bus stand while on her way to the college.
"We can't believe this happened," said Gokka Shankar Rao, Mounika's father. "Everyday we are getting a new bill ranging between 10,000 and 40,000 for her surgery. Doctors say she will need multiple procedures for next month. We have to run around for compensation, and have no support from TSRTC."
Experts say there is an urgent need to increase the RTC fleet. Ravi Gadepalli, independent expert on public transport, said: "Across the country, state transport undertakings tend to see student pass users as free loaders as they do not get daily 'ticketing revenue'. But STU's must realise that these are fixed revenue sources for which governments reimburse them. RTC must invest in pass users for a long-term relationship and see them as an asset and not liability."