Bus parked on roads

Ever spent a night on the roads despite having a house to live in? That’s how comical the situation is of the BMTC buses parked outside on the roads late at night despite having large depots denoted to them.

This can be seen outside the bus depots in Koramangala, RT Nagar, Hennur, Jayanagar 9th Block and almost every part of Bangalore. In fact, even the bigger bus stations like Majestic face this issue. The buses don’t just eat up half the road, they prevent commuters from seeing ahead. And all they can do is wonder why? 

Citizens aver that residential areas like Koramangala and Kalyan Nagar look like bus stops by themselves in the nights! Manu Prasad, a social media strategist, calls it one of the “great mysteries of Bangalore corporation”. “May be it is easier for them to take the bus out in the mornings,” he wonders. A resident of Koramangala, Manu has seen many BMTC buses parked outside the Koramangala Bus Depot when he is travelling at night. “They eat up 50 per cent of the road space.

Also, it’s a dangerous situation when you are driving and people are crossing the road. With the buses blocking the view and the width of the road being less to manoeuvre the vehicle, your chances of hitting these people are high,” he notes.

Even in HSR Layout, the buses occupy a lot of space on the road near the bus complex.

“It is a four-lane road. But with these buses parked on both sides, it is reduced to two lanes. It makes sense if they are private travels. But why would the BMTC, Vajra and regular ones park outside?” asks Sreechand Tavva, who walks past the bus complex regularly. Another problem is that of the drivers and conductors sleeping inside the bus.

“It happens regularly while some roam around and talk on the phone as late as 1 am. If normal citizens did the same, the cops would hassle them but no one questions these people,” he complains.

Even the residents of RT Nagar have spotted buses outside the depot during lunch hours and at night. Since the bus stand is small, it’s all the more problematic. “I face a problem every night while returning from work,” laments Sujith, a resident of RT Nagar who runs an office in the area as well. “The space that’s left is probably enough for just one car to go. And the drivers just don’t listen if you tell them to move. They don’t even care if there is a pile up behind their bus,” he adds. 

While Rajitha, a fashion designer, has seen buses parked on the Sanjaynagar Main Road near the police station after 9 pm every night. “There isn’t a slight indication of a bus stop anywhere nearby. I have always wondered why they are parked out,” she rues.

As far as the authorities are concerned, the BMTC buses are not supposed to do such a thing. Says Anjum Parvez, the managing director of the BMTC, “Some of these buses start as early as 4.30 am or 5 am. When they are moving from one depot to another, they stop outside for a short halt before proceeding. But all other buses should be parked inside the depot.” According to him, the service road on Kalyan Nagar is a problem area.

“Ten buses are parked on the road at night! However, apart from this, there has been no other problem. There used to be an issue near the Koramangala Bus Depot but now that has been sorted,” he clarifies.