High costs, low frequency affecting commuters on daily basis

Sowmya Raju | NT

Bengaluru: The issue of expensive and infrequent public transport services in Bengaluru has been a long-standing concern for commuters.

“Bengaluru has the most expensive public transport services in the country and that includes Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses," said Amruta SN, a Climate and Energy campaigner. As Amruta SN points out, public transport is not a luxury but a necessary service that the government should provide to its citizens. Highest in the country The high cost of BMTC bus tickets, especially for non-AC buses, is a burden on lowincome communities and the unorganised sector, who are the primary users of these services.

The cost of public bus tickets in Bengaluru is the highest among major Indian cities, with the minimum fare for non-AC buses covering the first 5 km being Rs 15, which is significantly higher than that of Pune and Delhi at Rs 10, Chennai at Rs 6, and Mumbai at Rs 5.

"Most commuters who use BMTC services are from the low-income communities and whose daily means are constantly at stake," said Amurtha. She also added that the BMTC is slowly becoming invisible to the eyes of the state government during budget allocation.

Yamuna, agarment worker who earns minimum wage said, "With my salary, I can just fulfil my basic needs, and it is very difficult for me to afford to travel in BMTC buses every day." In Yamuna's factory, there are over 10 lack daily wage labours out of which over 80% to 88% of them are single women such as herself who travel more than 5km to reach the factory.

Taking reference from public bus services in Tamil Nadu, she requests the BMTC to provide free bus transportation for all women which could also encourage more women to join the workforce, which could have a positive impact on the city's economy.

Infrequent and crowded The current fleet of 6798 BMTC buses is insufficient to cater to the needs of the city's growing population, resulting in low-frequency services and overcrowded buses during peak hours. Almost 25 lakh passengers rely on the BMTC on a daily basis.

Bhanupriya, a senior accounts officer who takes a bus from RT Nagar to Indira Nagar every day to work said, "The buses are extremely crowded, especially during peak hours. Sometimes I don't even have space to stand and it is very suffocating, but if I miss one bus, I will have to wait for another 45 minutes to 1 hour for the next bus, making me late for work."