Non-profit think-tank Urban Works Institute in collaboration with the Centre for Sustainability at Ramaiah Institute of Management has launched ‘The Bus4us BuzzFest’ – an inter-college competition for sharing ideas on transforming the image of buses in Bengaluru. The BuzzFest features a range of contests, including a photography contest, poster-making competition, and social media competitions like reel creations which the students have to submit by March 7. Any student studying in Bengaluru is eligible to participate in the competition and they stand a chance to win a Rs 25,000 cash prize. Meanwhile, the larger ‘Bus4us campaign’ was launched by MA Saleem, special commissioner of police traffic, Bengaluru Monday. Speaking at the inaugural event, Saleem said: “It is important for more youngsters to opt for buses and other modes of public transportation. Considering that the BMTC (Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation) is planning to add more buses to its fleet, including e-buses in the coming days, we are optimistic that the commuters will opt for buses and help us reduce traffic congestion in the city.” Shreya Gadepalli, founder and managing director of Urban Works Institute, said: “BMTC buses do not look desirable to youngsters… Many youngsters prefer the metro, cab, or auto. It is also important to increase the frequency of buses and the fleet size to cater to nearly 30 lakh travellers who are dependent on bus services every day.” The Urban Works Institute has proposed a five-point plan with an aim to transform Bengaluru’s bus transportation. One of the proposals is to double the fleet so that there is a BMTC bus on every route. “By 2025, the BMTC should operate 12,000 buses with increased staff support to meet the travel demands of people in the city,” it said. The organisation has also suggested implementing a network of 12 dedicated bus priority lanes to increase the reliability of buses among people.
