The city has a floating population of over 10 lakh. Every hour, thousands of people enter and leave the city. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) ferries around 50 lakh people every day and KSRTC over 70 lakh.
However, in the last few months alone, the State and city have seen five bandhs and protests. The worst was over the Cauvery dispute which saw violence. And every time, transportation was affected leaving many stranded in bus depots, railway stations and the airport. The railways, which was the only service functioning, proved to be a lifeline for outstation travellers.
“I did not know there was a bandh on September 9 when I landed from Mumbai accompanied by my 80-year-old mother. We had to go to Kalasipalaya. I had to wait till 6 p.m. when taxis started plying,” said M. Hussain, a businessman.
After KSRTC and Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation stopped operations, many commuters were forced to cross the border on foot. They would then board buses on either side to their respective destinations.
“BMTC buses also did not ply on the day of the violence. Subsequently, it operated a bare minimum fleet. The government knows that people are inconvenienced. Hence, bus services should not be stopped. At least buses should be operated for a fixed number of hours so that people can reach home,” said Nirmala from the Pourakarmika Union.
Safety of passengers and property is one of the reasons why mass transport systems stop services during bandhs. However, it gives auto and taxi drivers an opportunity to fleece passengers. “On some occasions, buses plied with police security. But it is not possible to do it for the entire fleet,” she said.
Sarovar Benkikere, co-ordinator, Karnataka Vidyarthi Sangatan, said that though he supported the protests, he is against violence. “I had to walk over five kilometres to reach my house,” he said.
He said that the government should declare a holiday in case of a protest. “If public transport is operated, security should be provided for the vehicles. Commuters should not be left to struggle,” he said.
Officials of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), which ferries nearly 1.8 lakh passengers on a normal day, said that they stopped operations from September 12 afternoon to around 7.15 p.m on September 13.
A KSRTC official said that services to States other than Tamil Nadu resumed soon after the violence stopped. “Though we did not get many passengers, we ran the buses to instil confidence in the minds of the people,” said a KSRTC official.
Possible solutions: ‘Include small buses in the fleet’
BENGALURU: Proper co-ordination between the police and transport corporations is one way to ensure that there is no damage to property or a threat to lives.
A transportation expert said that usually buses are attacked when they ply on main roads. Hence, corporations can run more services in the inner roads so that commuters are not stranded.
According to experts, there are two types of strike — spontaneous and planned. “During a flash protest, we try to operate buses from wherever they have halted at night and take the safest route possible by coordinating with the police,” said a BMTC official.
Experts feel that once the safest path on various routes is identified, the bus can be stopped in a spot which is safe and from where passengers can walk to their destinations. “If we have more small buses, commuters can be ferried through small lanes,” said an expert.
Introduction of commuter trains by the railways is another option. “Railways was the only mode of transport that was least affected. Besides, buses can take passengers to the nearest metro station with police protection for onward travel,” he added.
Expert Speak
“The BMTC must ensure that each bus ferries maximum stranded passengers before the situation worsens during a protest or bandh. There should be better coordination between BMTC/KSRTC and the police to ensure safety of commuters,” says Lekha Adavi, member, Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike.
People Speak
“During bandhs, companies should arrange vehicles to ferry employees. Police vehicles should patrol railway stations and bus stands to ensure safety of passengers,” says Gundappa Srinivas.
“Though I understand that the protest was for a legitimate reason, the impact on transportation was a bit too much. I had to postpone my return trip till the violence subsided,” says Deepa Narayanan, who had come to Bengaluru from Kerala to meet her sister.
Readers’ mail
“Travelling in the city is in itself a difficult task. Added to this are bandhs that throw life out of gear. For those dependent on public transport, especially buses, they are a nightmare. Extending the metro would help a lot. Also, companies that work on bandhs should make transportation arrangements for their employees,” says Gaurav S.
“Bandhs cause too much inconvenience. Why can't public transport be kept out of it? At least metro should be allowed to run. I had an important programme to attend during one of the bandhs, but was stuck at home,” says Punita Rajeev.
Social Media
No proper transfer from one place to another, it's all stress.
@LADHAI
