Several times you may have observed the alphabet ‘Z’ in the bus number plates in our Telugu states. But Have you ever wondered why all the APSRTC/TSRTC buses had the ‘Z’ in the bus number plate? Of course, the first thought you have is that these are random alphabets that are assigned. It is surely not a random alphabet since every bus that is owned and run by the Road Transport Corporation has the alphabet 'Z' in its number plate. Let me finally quell this one doubt.
The “Z” in the number plates stands for Zahra Begum, mother of the last ruler of the erstwhile Hyderabad State, Mir Osman Ali Khan, Nizam VII. In June of 1932 the Nizam’s Road Transport was established as a part of Nizam State Rail with 27 buses and 166 employees. Later on the Nizam’s State Rail is changed into Nizam’s State Rail and Road Transport Department (N.S.R.R.T.D.).
Image Source: Our Hyderabad City Blog
Right from the very first vehicle the N.S.R.R.T.D acquired, the vehicle registration numbers contained the letter “Z” in honor of Zahra Begum. And on 17th September 1948 when the Nizam handed over his supremacy to the Indian Government, one of the agreements he reached with Indian Government was that every bus registration number of the R.T.C should continue to include the letter “Z”.
Image Source: Ou Hyderabad City Blog
You may see the buses which had letters like ‘X’,’Y’,’W’,’UA’,’UB’.. etc they are hired buses from private people run by RTC. Those are not RTC owned buses. This sweet gesture of the last Nawab is why we use the 'Z' in the number plate even today.
