APSRTC to increase bus services to Hyderabad's IT hub

Fresh case of rape of an IT professional at Hyderabad's IT hub prompts government into action

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to increase public transport bus services to the city's IT hub after a fresh case of kidnap and rape of a software company professional earlier this week put a question mark on the safety of women employees in Hyderabad.

"We currently run about 4,000 trips through 390 buses to the Madhapur area. We will increase the frequency as well as alter the schedules and alighting points of bus services according to the local needs as public transport will offer better safety to women employees," AK Khan, managing director of state-owned AP Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), said on Friday.

A female IT professional waiting for a taxi at a popular mall in Hitec City was picked up by two men offering cab service and was forcefully taken on the city's outskirts and sexually assaulted by them.

About 10 large IT companies, including Infosys, had approached the RTC seeking dedicated bus transport services for their employees following this incident, according to Khan.

"Earlier, we had met 300 companies offering dedicated transport services to their employees. But the response was not very encouraging as many of them think transportation is employees' concern," he said.

The APSRTC is already providing dedicated bus transport services to 52 companies in this area and willing to provide to others too, according to him.

Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who held a high-level meeting on the safety of women employees in the city, has asked the police department to step up security and surveillance on the outer ring road and at other sensitive places.