The jury of experts who presided over a public hearing on the problems bus commuters face, has called upon the State Government to treat Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) as a public service and not as a ‘for-profit’ organisation. At the hearing held by Bengaluru Bus Pryanikara Vedike, the lack of last-mile connectivity, the need to augment the fleet, and the cost of bus tickets and passes were raised by commuters.
Based on the observations of the jury, Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike, has taken up a campaign demanding reduction of fare by half for the general public, free travel for women, transgenders, senior citizens and students and additional routes and schedules in places with inadequate services. Vinay Sreenivasa, of the Vedike, said the State Government should allocate ₹1,000 crore in the upcoming State Budget to BMTC to implement these measures.
The panel comprising mobility experts, including Prof. Ashish Verma from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and social activists such as Cynthia Stephen, were of the view that bus fares are largely unaffordable for the poor in the city. The fact that the Government is treating BMTC as a ‘for-profit’ organisation is the main reason behind it, they said at a press conference on Thursday.
“The social and economic costs of high ticket fares and service gaps in bus services are not properly understood. These have a multilayered impact affecting livelihoods, health care, education, etc. People using public transport are doing the city a public service by not contributing to traffic congestion, pollution or accidents in the city. Instead of compensating them for this service, we are making them pay a high price for it,” was the verdict.
