42% of working-class people ready to take bus if fares reduced

Nearly half of the working class in the city who commute on bikes will switch over to BMTC bus if it’s economical, a new survey has found.

The Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV) survey showed that 80% of those commuting on the city buses found the fares too high.

This partly contributes to the rising number of two-wheelers, which offer much affordable commute besides removing the gaps in the first and last-mile connectivity.

“On average, bus commuters spend 21% of their earnings on the commute, compared with 9.5% that users of other modes spend,” said the survey that focussed on street vendors, domestic workers, sanitation workers and garment workers.

Of 95 persons who participated in the survey, 72% said they use buses when other options are either too expensive or unavailable, and 44.2% said they use other modes, including walking, to avoid paying the high fares for the bus.

The survey comes at a time when the transport corporations, including Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), have been seeking a hike in their fare, as increasing operating costs are widening their losses.

However, the survey data shows that any increase in the fare is likely to further reduce the ridership of the BMTC. Commuters, especially those from the weaker sections, are likely to choose two-wheelers over the bus.

The average monthly income of the respondents in the survey was Rs 11,130. One of them points out that the monthly bus pass is not only costly but also remains out of reach.

A decrease in fares is likely to boost the number of riders on BMTC buses and bring in an additional number of commuters. Among the respondents, 42.9% who use other modes of transport said they would switch over to the bus if it becomes affordable.