SURVIVAL KIT 101
TRANSPORT: The basic modes of public transport are: 1. Auto-rickshaw: These are the most common mode of public transport. They run on a meter which indicates the the no. of kms travelled and the fare for the distance hence travelled. The minimum fare on a meter is Rs.14. For the first 1 to 1.5 kms travelled, the fare would remain Rs. 14. That is for any distance travelled between 0-1.5 kms , the fare to be paid is Rs.14. The fare then increases by Rs. 8 for every km. During traffic jams, the amount of time spent in waiting is also charged and included in the fare. According to the Government rules, the auto rickshaw must charge the passengers according to the meter. But unfortunately, not many auto-rickshaw drivers follow this. They ask you the destination and ask for a price.They bargain a pre-fixed fare citing many reasons such as traffic in the area you’ve asked to go, or less availability of passengers to take on in that area or increase in petrol prices. It is ALWAYS preferable to travel by meter as the auto-rickshaws tend to ask for unfair fares.Mostly the fare they ask for is either double or at least 25% more than the fare that would be charged according to the meter. In such cases, do the following: Insist that the auto-rickshaw driver put on the meter and refuse to agree to take the auto if he refuses to put the meter on. There are two possible reactions to such cases:
When asked to put on the meter, they would reduce the fare they’re asking and bargain. In such cases, since a person new to the city might not have an idea of how much the fares are, they can refuse to get into such autos and look for another auto. If you’ve travelled at least once by meter and hence know the fare, you may bargain with the auto driver with fare and may increase it by Rs. 5 or Rs 10. When asked to put on the meter, they may also tend to refuse and you may need to search for another auto-rickshaw. Due to the recent increase in petrol prices in the city, the minimum fare on the meter has changed in Rs.12 to Rs.14. Most of the meters on the autos have been changed to have the new minimum fare but a few still have the earlier minimum fare of Rs12. In such cases, the minimum would be Rs 12 for1.0 km and then it would increase by Rs 7 for every km. The final fare charged according to the new meter is calculated by referring to a chart given to the auto drivers. This chart indicates the fare on the meter and against it, the revised fare to be paid at the end of your journey.
For example, if the fare on the auto meter (whose minimum is Rs 12) is sayRs. 60.30 on the meter, in the revised fares chart against this no. would be Rs 75 (According to the meter with Rs. 14 as minimum fare). In order to have a general idea of how much the auto fare might be when you’re stepping out, using Google maps, if you could calculate the possible distance in kms. The auto fare may be calculated. This would not be an accurate fare,but it gives you only a generalidea, the fare maybe more or less, as certain factors such as waiting fare at traffic jams etc may not be included. The fare can be calculated in this manner: POSSIBLE AUTO FARE= ((No. of kms – 1.5)*8)+14
2. Buses:
The cheapest way to travel and the most comfortable would be by the buses. Before travelling in buses, a basic knowledge about the areas in Hyderabad would help. Different buses have different routes. Each bus has a bus no. The basic process of getting onto and hence travelling by the bus is:
If you have an idea which bus goes to your destination, go to the nearest bus stop and wait for the required bus to arrive. In case you have just referred to the bus schedules and have a basic idea of which bus goes to your destination, at your nearest bus stop you may ask the people present at the bus stop or when a particular bus stops, you may ask the driver. At a few bus stops, a man/woman dressed in a white uniform is present and their job is to provide information regarding which buses go to which destination and their frequency.You may ask this person. Before stepping out, please make sure you know the bus no. whether or not it drops you to the destination, and if that bus passes through a bus stop nearest to your place. FOR THE ROUTE-WISE FIRST BUS, LAST BUS TIMINGS & FREQUENCY OF HYD.CITY ZONE: Refer to the spreadsheet: Bus routes, no.s, frequency OR Click on the following link: http://apsrtc.gov.in/About%20Us/Route-Network/TIME%20TABLEHCZ.htm 3. Cabs: For travelling long distances with luggage, you may pre-book a cab. Call the cab service and tell them your present location,your destination and the time you want the cab to arrive. The cabs charge Rs10 per km. Some of the cab services have a meter which measures the fare. Others ask you to note the reading odometer and then charges according to the no. of kmstrevelled.
There are many cabs present around the city that you may hire for travelling within the city. Shared cabs or autos are also present. But they travel through specific routes in specific areas. Few cab services and their numbers: Delta cabs: 040-30222277 Meru Cabs: 040-44224422 For more cab services: Call the justdial service.
4. Aeroexpress: This is a bus service which enables people to travel to the airport with their luggage from different parts of the city. There are separate bus stops for these red-coloured buses and their onlydestination is the airport. This service cannot be used to travel within the city. *
FOOD: Best hang-out places in Hyderabad:
HELPLINE NO.S:
If you need to find out the addresses or the phone numbers in any area of hospitals, restaurants, coffee shops, malls, cab services or any other services, call this service:
JUSTDIAL 040 24444444
POLICE: 100 FIRE:101 AMBULANCE: 102
SOME COMMON MANNERISMS AND LANGUAGE: 1. Nodding head from left to right means NO 2.
CURRENCY HANDLING: Coins: Re.1 ,Rs. 2, Rs.5, Rs. 10 Notes: Rs. 10, Rs. 20, Rs.50, Rs. 100, Rs. 500, Rs. 1000