Chasing rainbows on city roads

Sometimes, it is a beauty competition on the road, with private buses showing off their own hues. Perhaps unknowingly, the BMTC authorities have beautified our city roads with these multi-coloured buses.

‘Colour colour. What colour?’ is an old rhyme and a game we played as children. Kannada has its own favourite songs when it comes to colours: Elu banna seri biliya bannavayitu, and Banna nanna olavina banna, to name a couple. 

Currently, I am trying to decipher the logic behind the multi-coloured buses of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), affectionately called NAM-BUS (our bus). Decades ago, these buses donned a uniform bright red. Over time, their design evolved; they initially had a snout-like front, which was later altered to a flat face. Some buses even had only one headlight. Regardless of these aesthetic changes, they all wore the same red coat, adorned with the twin-headed Gandabherunda logo and the slogan “Satyamevajayate.”

If my memory serves me right, in the 1980s, a court petition led to a change in the colour scheme of the buses, introducing blue and yellow. Even then, the logo and slogan were prominently displayed on both sides of the fleet.

Over the years, however, this colour scheme has transformed into a rainbow of hues. Some were dark blue, some were green, and some were painted with many pictures and slogans. In all this colour play, their logo and slogan appeared steadfast.

In recent times, the changes are more dramatic. There is one with an off-white-coloured body, featuring a jeweller offering freebies. Another has a dark blue hue, urging passengers to ‘sell your gold with respect’ (gouravadinda nimma chinnavannu maaratamadi). A third bus boasts an alluring yellow colour, promoting a high-speed broadband connection. Now I am left searching for BMTC’s logo and slogan. Thankfully, the route numbers are still visible, ensuring safe travel.

As I watch this parade of buses in rainbow colours, I wonder whether these are public transport vehicles or have been hijacked by companies. Sometimes, it is a beauty competition on the road, with private buses showing off their own hues. Thanks are definitely in order to the BMTC authorities for displaying their buses in splendid colours. Perhaps unknowingly, the BMTC authorities have beautified our city roads with these multi-coloured buses.

While a lot has changed besides its name from the Bangalore Transport Service (BTS) to the current BMTC, the logo and slogan have remained the same since the days of the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore, but are now less visible—in some cases, they are missing altogether or faded—amidst the clutter of consumerism. 

BMTC, keep all the colours; add more if you please. But please do
not forget to highlight your logo in brighter colours.