Full Metro, cheaper bus fares and safe commute in Bengaluru

Not in restaurants, homes or workplaces but Bengalureans spend most of the time on roads, travelling. Also, the travelling expenses in the city are high due to the lack of an effective mobility policy. Years have gone by but Bengaluru’s wishlist for a better transportation network only gets longer.

Here is a cross-section of Bengalureans articulating this need and what they wish for in the new year. Gagan K, a veterinary student has this to say: “I commute by bus and the Metro every single day regardless of any external circumstances, and I find the tickets and passes costly.”

The fares, he adds, should be fixed on the basis of the earning capacity of the commuters instead of input costs for the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC). “I would also appreciate free bus passes for people with disabilities and senior citizens.”

Public transport has been a serious matter of concern among intra-city travellers as the connectivity between areas is inadequately designed. The extended commercial operations in areas such as Kanakapura Road and Mysore road are also a big reason for the road congestion.

Read: A mobility wishlist for 2022

“I am going to start travelling by different modes of transport as college is going to resume soon, and I prefer a common mobility card for hassle-free travelling. It becomes difficult to buy different tickets for a one-way journey which also consumes energy and unnecessary time,” notes Yukta Subbaiah, a junior college student from Hebbal.

“We have been waiting for over 30 years for the Namma Metro network and it’s high time we finally start using the whole system efficiently. My parents and I are eagerly waiting to enjoy public transport with a fully functioning rapport,” she adds.

The state government had assured to get electric buses on the roads in 2021, but the residents are excited to board them in the new year. “We are witnessing a drastic increase in traffic congestion due to the lack of a efficent public commute system,” says Naga Krishna, a daily commuter and engineering student from R T Nagar.

“We want an automobile-friendly infrastructure with elevated corridors, flyovers, widening of roads and big infra projects. Not forgetting the pedestrians, the city’s walkers are expecting white topping of paths, underground drainage pipelines, clearing potholes and barricades,” says Naga.

A big proportion of the city’s population include working women and female students, who have their own mobility wishlist. “The BBMP had proposed over a million CCTV cameras, street lights and a better policing facility, but 2021 was not a reasonable year to vouch for it,” points out Justina, a media student.

Women, she notes, have been seeking help from authorities to avail safe commute options. “Yet, we are far from having these in place. Another loophole is the absence of synchronisation of traffic lights at odd times of the day. It disrupts the smooth flow of traffic. This also adds up with the poor road conditions,” she elaborates.

Watch the latest DH videos here: