Bangaloreans begin to bond with the sleek Swedish behemoths
The gleaming red Volvo buses are now a common sight on the roads of Bangalore. With the Bangalore Metropolitan Transportation Corporation (BMTC) adding more and more Volvo buses to the existing fleet of 200, commuting has become much more easier for Bangaloreans.
Sajith, who travels everyday from Whitefield to Mysore Road says: “The Volvo fares are fairly affordable, the service is good, the conductors are polite and the LED boards are bilingual. The English display is very helpful for someone like me who cannot read Kannada.
Also the monthly pass priced at an affordable rate of Rs 1,250 makes it all the more economical”.
For Anuradha, who works in a bank near Corporation Circle, comfort is the main attraction; the added advantage is that a seat is available even during peak hours. She also claims that travelling in an ordinary, non-AC bus in peak hours is an ordeal and that she would anyday prefer a Volvo, even if there is a hike in the fares. Although the buses do not stick to their timings, their frequency makes up for it, she says.
With the incessant traffic congestion and numerous one-ways, thanks to the Namma Metro project, Anand, an employee of Verman Aviation, cannot imagine commuting to work in his own vehicle. He prefers the factory van and when he misses it, it is the volvo for him. The intolerable summer heat has to an extent impelled even the common man to go for the Volvo. The fares may be higher, but few seem to be complaining.
