As the Karnataka government is set to roll out another initiative to encourage more people to opt for public transport, at least every second Sunday of the month, it may be noted that similar attempts in the past have failed to yield the desired results.
The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) celebrates Bus Day on the 4th of every month. BMTC chairman Nagaraj Yadav said that Bus Day has been an ongoing programme for 95 months and claimed that there is a 5% addition to the 52 lakh passengers that BMTC buses ferry each day on an average.
However, the actual impact of the initiative is unknown as even the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has stopped measuring pollution levels on Bus Days. But commuters are not enthused about either the existing or new programmes. “We have been asking the BMTC to have a day for BMTC commuters. They should first reach out to existing bus users and discuss their needs. Also, what is the point of having bus day on second Sundays? Traffic will anyway be less on the roads on these days,” Vinay Srinivasa of Bangalore Bus Prayaanikara Vedike said.
He also added that instead of just one day being celebrated as a public transport day, the department should make it more meaningful by giving priority to buses on the day by creating bus lanes for that day.
