Experiencing the expense first hand

Mehak Mudassir

My daily commute to the office is on my two-wheeler. I reside in Basaveshwaranagar and my office is near Cunningham Road. When the BMTC bus fares issue came to light, I decided to check it out first hand.

I went to Basaveshwaranagar Pavithra Paradise bus stop, the closest stop from my house, and waited for a bus for around 20 minutes only to learn that there is no direct bus to Shivajinagar, the closest stop to my office. So I had to take a bus to Majestic bus stop and that cost Rs 20. I got down at Majestic and then took another bus to the Indian Express bus stop, Shivajinagar. That was another Rs 20. By now, I had spent a total of Rs 40 to reach my office. I had to repeat the same route and spend the same amount on the way back. My total expense for a single day was Rs 80.

The next day I fuelled my bike for exactly Rs 80 to check how much ground I could cover with petrol worth that amount. I could travel three times to the office and back with Rs 80. The distance between my office and home is eight kilometres and I have TVS Scooty Pep Plus.

I certainly cannot afford to use BMTC buses. No wonder our roads are congested with private vehicles when public transportation is so expensive. As a woman I would welcome the safety of a bus when it’s late rather than ride back alone. And I am sure many women feel the same.