As the strike by drivers working with cab aggregators Ola and Uber continues, commuters are slowly reverting to older means of transport such as autorickshaws and buses.
In the past one week, ridership in the popular Vajra services of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has risen as much as 30% in some areas, officials said.
“The strike has definitely resulted in more people using our Volvo services in the IT corridors in the eastern parts of Bengaluru,” said Ekroop Caur, MD, BMTC.
Commuters now avoid booking cabs because of the threat of being stopped by drivers on strike midway and told to get off. “I used to pay ₹250 for travelling to the city from Brookefield by cab and around ₹350 during peak hours. Taking the bus costs me ₹80. This past week, several drivers have told me that they are unwilling to take a trip to the city, and so I have switched over to BMTC,” said Aparajita Kayal, who works in Langford Town.
The shortage of cabs has also resulted in an increase in passengers taking the ordinary BMTC services “We are seeing a general increase in the number of passengers taking our ordinary services across east Bengaluru,” Ms. Caur added.
Home to many large IT campuses, east Bengaluru has some of the highest concentration of BMTC buses.
But there is a strong demand for more buses across the city. Buses are viewed as a more feasible and environment-friendly option to private vehicles and cabs.
According to experts, cabs that do not operate on a pooling basis are only adding to the city’s traffic woes.
“The number of vehicles ultimately increases as more cabs are added to the roads. They contribute to traffic. Public transport is the best option,” says Ashish Verma, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Science.
With the popular opinion about buses changing as the cab standoff shows no sign of ending, commuters are hoping that the BMTC will step in and fill the gap.
Expansion plans
The strike by drivers of Ola and Uber has come at a very opportune time for the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), which is looking to ramp up its operations. BMTC is considering adding 1,000 buses to its fleet by the end of March, and officials say this is just the beginning of an expansion that aims to keep pace with the growth of the city.
“The plan is to add 3,040 buses by the end of the coming financial year (March 2018). This will increase our fleet size and allow us to accommodate more passengers,” said Ms. Caur.
The BMTC has a fleet of 6,000-odd buses. According to statistics released by the company, close to 52 lakh passengers use its services daily. An addition of 3,000 buses would take this figure considerably higher, even with the planned scrapping of around 800 older buses.
With increasing traffic woes, demand for buses is very high, according to experts who are seeking even greater expansion of the bus fleet. Ahead of the State Budget, citizen groups such as Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike are demanding that the government provide direct financial support to the BMTC to help meet its financial requirements, such as employee dues, infrastructure development, purchase of new buses, and reduction in fares.
“The government should fund 6,000 buses. For the cost of the steel flyover, we can procure 4,000 buses. The ideal fleet size is 14,000,” said Ashwin Mahesh, an urban transport expert.
According to BMTC officials, they are hopeful of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announcing some form of budgetary allotment to the corporation.
“We have sought full financial assistance to buy 3,000 more buses. We are seeking direct financial support and not the interest subvention that was offered last year,” a senior BMTC official said.
