Waiting without any woes

Comfortable place

For people travelling to the airport, luxury is now at hand with the BMTC’s special air-conditioned waiting lounges at bus stands in the City.

One can now read newspapers, take a nap and even watch television at these lounges while waiting for the bus heading towards the airport. And that’s not all, the staff of Vaayu Vajra will announce the bus departure timing at the lounge so that the passengers do not miss their bus.

With just two such bus stands in the City –– in 4th Block Jayanagar Bus Stand and the Shanthinagar Traffic and Transit Management Centre (TTMC) –– many Bangaloreans are slowly warming up to the concept.

The one at Jayanagar is fairly small compared to the lounge at the Shantinagar TTMC. But what makes the latter even better is the fact that it with an attached rest room. While it’s open 24/7 for people at no extra cost, there are not many takers for it as one would
expect it to have.

An official from the BMTC at the Shantinagar TTMC says, “The lounge opened just a couple of months ago, so not many people are aware of it. We have three routes passing through Shanthinagar with 68 trips every day.

Since most of the passengers come here with their luggage, the place becomes crowded. It also becomes inconvenient and difficult to stand alongside other commuters using the normal buses. These lounges can help make their journey more comfortable.”

Dr Vijaylakshmi, who runs a clinic on Bannerghatta Road, agrees with it. She was pleasantly surprised when she saw the AC lounge at a bus stand. “The airport buses are  a boon for people here, the lounge has only made it better. I never expected such a posh-looking lounge. But I wish they had few more facilities like a snack-counter inside and drinking water facilities as well,” she adds.

Krishna, a businessman who had used the lounge while waiting for his bus to the airport, did not find it very helpful. “The place can have only around 18 passengers at a time. So during rush hour, it can get very congested.

The doorway to the lounge is quite narrow and restricts the movement of the luggage. Though it seems like a good idea, I personally feel it is not something that is really needed in the City,” he adds.

But environmentalist Suresh Heblikar, who has used the lounge, begs to differ. He found it to be a noble concept. And what really impressed him was the way the staff was maintaining the place.

“I never knew there was something like this because I have not seen it in any other city. I remember sitting there for a while waiting for my bus and at regular intervals, the staff was cleaning the place. I feel there should be more of these lounges in the City as it does get tired standing and waiting,” he adds.

Apparently the BMTC is planning on coming up with more such lounges in the City. But K R Srinivasa, the Managing Director of BMTC, states that a lot depends on the movement and response of the commuters.

“I have told my people to keep a watch over the areas where the number of commuters going to the airport are more. As of now, we have been told that Vijayanagar is another place where the airport travellers are more.

We also plan to build one in Majestic but due to some constraints that plan will be put on hold. We are here to serve the people so without proper research we don’t want to simply build something for the sake of it,” he wraps up.