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This is an archive article published on February 4, 2023
Bus commuters in Bengaluru organise campaign seeking higher funds for BMTC, more services
Members of the Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike also sought free travel for certain categories of commuters, hiring of more BMTC staff and better connectivity.
Besides raising calls of Inquilab Zindabad, several of the protesters also bore placards with statements such as ‘Priotitize people! Not cars!’ (File)
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Bus commuters in Bengaluru organise campaign seeking higher funds for BMTC, more services
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On Friday morning, a large group of Bengaluru residents from all walks of life assembled at the Majestic Bus Terminus. However, they were not there for their daily commute, but as members of the Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV), a bus commuter advocacy group, in a bid to organise a human chain and signature campaign. The volunteers raised slogans demanding that Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai allocate resources to the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).
Besides raising calls of Inquilab Zindabad, several of the protesters also bore placards with statements such as ‘Priotitize people! Not cars!’
According to Vinay, an advocate and a member of the BBPV, “Bus travel should be made free for four categories of commuters – women, senior citizens, students and transgender people. The hiring freeze should also be ended and 1,000 more staff should be hired as many BMTC buses are not running because of this.”
In a QR code-enabled petition drive, the campaigners also said that Rs 1,500 crore must be allotted to the BMTC to cover the expenses of free travel for these demographics and Rs 100 crore to cover additional salaries, along with a grant of Rs 1,350 crore in capital expenditure and Rs 4,500 crore in operational expenditure.
They also highlighted the issue of flyovers and road expansions which led to more car traffic, whereas the focus should be on public transport. Vinay added, “Since there was an expenditure of Rs 9,500 crore from 2016 – 2018 for the Metro, similar expenditure should also be made for the BMTC.” He added that they hoped that the chief minister would take note of the suggestions before the state Budget was passed.
He said, “After 6 pm, you can see that the number of buses is fewer. Because of this, people end up using private transport and congestion increases. Education and livelihood are also dependent on the bus network. If you get a job in an area inaccessible by bus, you may end up taking a smaller job which is close by.”
Another volunteer, tech firm employee Shilpa, said, “The response from bus passengers is good. They were also sharing their problems. There is some cynicism that the problems may not get fixed by the authorities, but there is a clear understanding of the issues we are all facing.”
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Arup, also a techie, added, “A lot of visually impaired and physically challenged persons also rely on buses to get around… We cannot blame the BMTC for all issues. A proper budget should also be allocated to it. Only then will people leave their vehicles at home and use public transport.”
Rajesh K, a member of the Slum Janara Sanghatane, who was present among the protesters at Majestic Bus Terminus, said, “Bengaluru is one of the more expensive cities with regard to bus fares. When some areas don’t have sufficient bus coverage, they are forced to take Uber or Ola transport which may cost hundreds of rupees. Common people cannot afford this.”
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