As the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation began services on Monday morning, hundreds who purchased the Rs. 35-day passes found they could not use them as the buses were withdrawn by 10 a.m. due to stone-throwing.
Reacting to this, BMTC Managing Director Syed Zameer Pasha told The Hindu these pass-holders will be entitled to use them on Tuesday.
The stoning of 68 buses led to the cancellation of services. Transport Minister R. Ashok said BMTC could not be allowed to suffer losses. Foreseeing trouble, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) did not commence operations at all.
No Vayu Vajra
BMTC cancelled its Vayu Vajra (Bengaluru International Airport Special) services but deployed ordinary services from the city to the airport until 10.30 a.m. Though they were ordinary route buses, the fare collected was almost on a par with Vayu Vajra services, said a commuter, K. Subramanya, who paid Rs. 100 to go to the airport from Majestic.
He told The Hindu the crew were dissuading people from boarding saying that if any trouble occurred en route, passengers had to fend for themselves.
Stranded
Following cancellation of services, people were stranded on wayside stops as well as the Central Bus Station at Majestic. Many were forced to walk to their destinations. Some women commuters, unaware of the bandh, waited for buses at the Shivajinagar terminal. The police asked them to board BMTC buses bound for the depots, advising them to get down at a point nearest to their destinations.
BMTC resumed its services after 6 p.m., deploying some 3,000 buses.
