Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh, India, is known for its numerous tourist locations. It has many historical, educational and cultural heritage sites that attract millions of tourists from across the world every year.
The historical monument Charminar, palaces, museums with rich treasures of traditional arts and crafts, etc. are a few worth-visiting places in the city. However, as each one of them is located at different part of the city, a right plan to commute in the city is important. Not only will this save your time but also money. You could make your trip memorable and enjoyable by choosing the right means of transport. For this, you need to know the various means of transport you can avail in the city.
There are city buses run by APSRTC as well as private organisations, local trains run by Indian Railways, auto-rickshaws and private taxi cabs. As a tourist, you can use one of these. Let us discuss each briefly.
APSRTC city buses – An economical way to commute
The APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) buses connect most places of interest. The organization runs as many as 4,000 buses in the city, making nearly 40,000 trips, carrying around 36 lakh people every day. You can get these buses from important bus stations – Secunderabad (Railway Station and Rathifile bus stop), Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS), Central Bust Station (CBS), Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Bus Terminus. Buses will stop at all bus stops located at every two kms within the city limits.
You can find compact ordinary buses to spacious air conditioned buses in the city. With a minimum fare of Rs 5 (ordinary bus) you can travel a distance of 2-3 km in the city. The maximum fare in ordinary buses it is around Rs 17 with which you can travel about 35-40 kms in the city. If you want to travel in air conditioned bus, it would cost you around Rs 65 only. If you are planning to travel one whole day in city buses you can buy a ‘Travel as you like ticket’, which is a one day pass to travel in city buses.
Buses in the city are not only economical but safe as well. You can see typical Hyderabadis (people of Hyderabad) while travelling in these buses which will give you the real feel of the city. However, it is better to avoid using these buses during peak hours as they will be crowded with working people of the city.
MMTS Trains – Fastest and cheapest way to commute
Run by Indian Railways, MMTS (Mutli-Model Transport System), is a local train system in Hyderabad. Compared to APSRTC city buses, travelling in local trains is less expensive, fast, and safe. However, currently local trains are running only in two major routes – one from Falaknuma – Secunderabad – Lingampally and the other from Hyderabad – Lingampally. It may become tough for a new person to take these trains to visit the tourist places as they are not well connected to the roads.
If you still want to experience the journey in Hyderabad local trains, which takes you through the rock formations and lakes in the city, you can definitely try. The minimum fare in these trains is Rs 3 with which you can travel up to 0-10 km and the maximum fare is Rs 10 for a distance of 35-40 km. Isn’t it economical?
Auto-rickshaws – For convenient travel
Popularly, known as Tuk-Tuk, auto-rickshaws are three wheeler passenger vehicles, commonly seen in the city. As many as 70,000 autos ply in the city limits. Painted in bright yellow colour, they are small in size, cute and can easily accommodate 3 people. As per the current rates, the minimum auto fare is Rs 16 (first 1 km) and on every additional km it increases by Rs 9. These rates are applicable anywhere in the city from 5 am to 11 pm. From 11 pm to 5 am the charges multiply one and half times the original fare.
Besides regular auto-rickshaws, the other types of auto-rickshaws you can find in the city are 3 or 4 wheeled seven seated auto rickshaws. They are often used to carry passengers who would like to share their travel with others. However, you can only find them in some parts, mostly city outskirts, as they are restricted at a few places to maintain free flow of traffic.
Taxi-cabs – Cosy and comfortable
Schedule your travel and hire a taxi-cab. You could use a single cab for your travel all day long. They are metered, cosy and elegant, but you have to pay a few more bucks compared to all other means of transport. The fare varies based on many factors like type of the hired vehicle, duration, distance, etc. The passenger should also pay for waiting charges along with parking fee of the vehicle, if applicable. Compared to all the above three discussed means of commute, hiring a taxi cab is comfortable and convenient as the services are available 24/7.
Come to Hyderabad and travel in the city – we bet you will surely enjoy your travel and admire these means of commute that help lakhs of people reach their destinations every day.