The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation employees began their strike on Wednesday (April 22, 2026) leading to widespread disruption of bus services. While the number of services affected is still not known, workers stood on roads and at different bus depots holding placards and banners demanding that their demands be redressed.

The impact was immediate at the Jubilee Bus Station, Mehdipatnam depot, Sangareddy and other large hubs of the transporter.

Late on Tuesday night, the RTC Joint Action Committee announced that the talks with the State government and the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) management broke down. The JAC announced that the workers’ strike would begin on at midnight.

Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) employees staging protest at Jubilee Bus Station in Hyderabad on April 26, 2026 | Video Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G

65 lakh people travel in Telangana RTC buses everyday

Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Wednesday morning appealed to Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) employees to call off the strike. He said that 65 lakh people travel in the public transport buses everyday and out of them, 45 lakh are women passengers. People travel in the buses to go to workplaces, educational institutes and hospitals to attend duties, pursue academics and assess health services respectively. He urged the staffers to consider the situation of people in rural areas-where the bus services are a lifeline.

There is no movement of buses at the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station in Hyderabad on Wednesday (April 22, 2026) as employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) are on strike. | Video Credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR

Reiterating that a four-member committee was formed, he said it was directed to submit a report in four weeks. Mr. Prabhakar said that of the 32 issues raised by the employees, the State government is not opposed to 29 issues. 

As Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) buses are unavailable, people are forced to opt for alternative modes of transport. An auto in Sangareddy was packed with passengers on Wednesday (April 22, 2026). | Video Credit: MOHD ARIF

“Merger of RTC [with government] and elections of recognised unions is pending. A few technical aspects concerning these two subjects have to be discussed. Four weeks time was sought for them [Committee] to study the subjects. Though RTC is not merged, salaries are credited to employees on the first day of every month,” said Mr. Prabhakar.

A fleet of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) buses were seen parked at Jubilee Bus Station in Hyderabad as the staffers are on strike, on April 22, 2026 | Video Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G