Karnataka - Bangalore   

Take a bus to catch the plane

BANGALORE: To cater to the travelling needs of the well-to-do and the common man alike, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) plans to operate 116 Suvarna coaches and 40 Vajra (Volvo) coaches to the new international airport. The buses will be operated round the clock under the “Airport Dedicated Service” brand.

The corporation conducted a feasibility study with traffic engineering consultant M.N. Sreehari on the operation of dedicated bus services to the new airport. After receiving feedback from the public, BMTC has finalised the route network, fleet strength on each route, frequency of service and the fare structure. The fare structure for Suvarna services, though not finalised, is likely to be on a par with ordinary BMTC services.

Airport Dedicated Service will offer seamless, unhindered and uninterrupted travel between important areas of the city and to the international airport’s arrival and departure lounges. The corporation said the fare structure of Vajra services would be far below autorickshaw and taxi fares.

Vajra coaches are specially configured for the comfort and safety of passengers and security of their baggage. The front portion of the coach, separated by a glass partition, accommodates passengers’ baggage while passengers can sit on comfortable seats numbering 31. Public address system, LCD panel showing real-time route information, entertainment videos, internet connectivity, mobile handset charger, newspaper and helper are the other facilities inside the coaches.

Services originating in the north-eastern region of the city traverse the shortest available routes, while many other services are planned to converge at Hebbal Junction. The corporation plans to build a state-of-the-art multi-utility traffic transit centre, for the benefit of air travellers at this point. It is also in dialogue with the Bangalore International Airport Authority Ltd. (BIAL) to offer check-in facilities at important pick-up points in the city.

The study kept in mind the tentative frequency of arrival and departure schedules of flights at the new airport to make available required number of buses at a given point of time. The corporation will continue to adjust the operating timings till they match with the travel requirements of the airport.

Despite high cost of operations considering high procurement cost of buses and less seating capacity, the corporation said the fares will be kept low to make the concept popular. While the minimum fare is kept at Rs. 80 between Hebbal and the airport, the maximum fare will be Rs. 200 from Electronics City.

As for Suvarna coaches, a few are being built at BMTC’s facility adjacent to its central office in the city. BMTC managing director Upendra Tripathy told The Hindu that till BMTC builds required number of coaches, new Parisara Vahini coaches will be deployed. On whether BMTC had got permission from BIAL to operate the service, Mr. Tripathy said BMTC is the sole bus-based public transport provider within 25 km radius of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike and the international airport comes within its jurisdiction.

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