79% of surveyed bus users in favour of free public bus services for women: Greenpeace

Rachana Ramesh | NT

Bengaluru:

According to Greenpeace India’s latest report, ‘Bustling Through Bengaluru’ released on Friday, a whopping 79 percent of the respondents are in support of free bus travel, especially for targeted groups like women and students as they are far more dependent on public transport. Two-thirds of respondents stated that either their travel time or waiting time has increased during the post-COVID-19 period. Mainly female passengers, who are more solely dependent on public transport (18 percent) expressed their apprehensions over an increase in the cost of travel after the pandemic.

Alongside the report release, the event also witnessed a panel discussion that addressed the multilayered issues of public transportation in Bengaluru. The panellists included A V Surya Sen, Director IT BMTC, Srinivas Alavilli from Janaagraha, Shaheen Shasa from BBPV, Dr Ashish Verma from IISc and Yashodha P H from Munnade. Dr Ashish Verma, a mobility expert, said, “Everything is connected. Our choices in infrastructure led to rainwater flooding the homes of rich and poor alike. The bus is not separate from this, it’s very well-connected.”

The report focuses on the systematic shifts needed to achieve affordable, safe, inclusive, comfortable, and reliable bus-based public transport. The survey captures the everyday travel experiences of bus users and the challenges they face during their journey.

The bus-user survey was conducted between January and February 2022, where a total of 558 bus users were interviewed at Shivaji Nagar bus station, KR Puram bus stand, Kempegowda bus terminal, KR Market bus stand, and Chikpete bus stop in the city. “Post-Covid things have become worse for the bus user. There is an urgent need to improve last-mile connectivity. Our buses are largely focusing on central Bengaluru and we need to change that. We have to increase the number of buses to reduce travel time, and implementing dedicated lanes is critical to make it happen,” said Shaheen Shasa from Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike.

Of respondents to the survey, 45 percent also strongly supported the demand to add more buses to the fleet and update bus timetables. Improvement in safety and security and toilets for all genders are the other major concerns. BMTC commuters stressed the need for the protection of existing bus lanes and the implementation of more such lanes. Surya Sen, Director IT BMTC, commented on the issue and said, “It is a dual challenge for the BMTC, making the city sustainable as well as sustaining.”