Citizen groups seek cut in city bus fares

Members of Citizens for Bengaluru (CfB) and Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV) on Tuesday urged people to leave their private vehicles and board buses on Bus Day on March 4 extending more support to ‘Bus Bhagya Beku’ campaign.

Speaking to media persons at the official launch of the campaign on Tuesday, CfB member Srinivas Alavilli said that they hope to draw the government’s attention to the plight of people who are forced to pay high bus fares.

“We demand that the state government reduce bus fares so that a common citizen, who earns less than Rs 10,000 a month, need not walk for long distances, but use the bus,” he said. The volunteers also demanded that the state government increase the number of buses plying on city roads, so that the number of private vehicles come down.

Financial support

The members of both the groups demanded that the government declare Bus Bhagya in the coming budget, grant financial support to BMTC to procure more buses and reduce bus fares.

They also demanded the government build infrastructure to encourage more people take the bus, rather than private modes of transport. They said the government should impose parking and congestion fee on private vehicles. The funds, thus generated, should be diverted to BMTC to improve services, they urged.