Succour for garment workers as BMTC offers 'Bus Bhagya'

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will soon launch Bus Bhagya scheme to benefit garment workers and unorganised sector labourers. Under this scheme, they are allowed to travel in special buses with 50 per cent discount in fare.

The BMTC has planned to introduce around 100 buses at points in the city from where garment workers and labourers travel to their workplaces. It has already chosen a few areas like Madiwala, Silk Board junction, Peenya, Bommanahalli, Tumakuru Road and Mysuru Road.

H Nabhiraj Jain, chairman, BMTC, told Deccan Herald that Bus Bhagya will become operational after it is approved in the board meeting.

A detailed proposal has already been prepared, including purchase of new buses for the scheme. 

Though the scheme is meant for the garment workers and labour classes, general public will also be allowed to travel in these special buses. The decision was taken after the officials learnt that it was not easy to check the identity of each traveller, said an official.

A few officials have raised objections to the scheme. They argue that the corporation would suffer Rs 10 crore loss annually if the scheme is introduced. But a few other officials countered the argument, saying that as more commuters choose these buses, the collection will double. Instead of operating partially occupied buses, it is better to run them to full capacity by providing 50 per cent discount in ticket fares.

In many boarding points, particularly from where the labour classes travel, illegal private transporters such as cabs, mini-buses ferry them at discount rates, affecting the revenue collection of BMTC buses. If the BMTC also ferries the workers at discount fare, they will travel in these special buses, curbing the menace of illegal private transporters.

Before the launch of the scheme, a survey will be conducted to find out more unknown points from where private transporters ferry people at discount fares. Based on the survey report, BMTC will introduce extra buses on those routes also, it is said.