Commuters complain that the inconsistent service has forced them to rely on private buses or use their personal vehicles.
Of the total 6,381 buses under the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), 796 buses are not working due to maintenance issue and shortage of drivers. The last recruitment drive was five years ago and the BMTC is currently waiting for government approval for fresh recruitment. Fewer buses on roads have led to people demanding frequent buses on various routes including, Nandi Hills, Hosur Road, and Kumbalgudu.
Adhul, a working professional, said that only a few buses operate in the evening thus making them crowded. “I have to use my bike at times. If there were more buses, it would have been cost-effective,” he added.
Other commuters also complained that the buses on the Hosur Road route operate only during peak hours forcing people to rely on private vehicles at other times.
The same is the case with the Nandi Hills route. A lot of people from Bengaluru visit Nandi Hills on weekends. The last bus from Nandi Hills to Bengaluru is around 1 p.m. However, passengers demand another bus that would depart around 5 or 6 p.m.
Rajath, a visitor at Nandi Hills said that BMTC should have more buses operating in the evening at least on weekends because a lot of visitors get free only after 5 p.m. He added that due to the poor frequency of buses, people prefer to come by their vehicles. “This is expensive and the hill station gets crowded with vehicles,” he added.
Areas on the outskirts of the city have poor bus connectivity. Areas like Nagarur, Huskur Mattahalli, Bommanshettyhalli Cross Mattahalli, and Nagasandrpalya Sondekoppa do not have any BMTC buses operating on the route.
Nagendra, Deputy Chief Traffic Officer at BMTC said that they identify areas where more buses are required when someone complains. “On routes like Electronic City near Hosur road, the crowd is only during peak hours. This crowd is just one way and the buses have to return almost empty. Though the buses have a duty time of eight hours, due to low passenger traffic in the Hosur Road route, the buses only operate during peak hours,” he added.
He said that the BMTC will survey the places and identify the routes where more buses should be added.
Regarding the 796 non-operational buses in the city, he said that this was because they were under maintenance. He said that BMTC needs more drivers to at least double the number of buses. “Each bus goes on two to three shifts every day. Right now, we are facing a shortage of drivers which is one of the reasons for fewer buses operating in the city,” he added.
M.N. Sreehari, Transport and Traffic Advisor to the Government of Karnataka said that the idea of developing bus transport and the metro is to cater to the growing demand. He said, “The number of buses in Bengaluru is not growing in proportion to the demand and the number of people travelling. BMTC has around 6000 buses but many of them are not in good condition. More people are relying on the metro as it is faster, cheaper, and has the luxury of air conditioners.”
He added that the cost of operation of buses is high as it includes the costs of fuel, maintenance, drivers, conductors, depot, and other staff. Another issue that the BMTC faces is the launch of the Shakti scheme which provides free tickets for women. This has drained the funds of BMTC which was already in debt, he added.
