The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) plans to directly connect Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) with Mangalore, Tirupati and Coimbatore to help passengers from other cities use the airport.
Disclosing this at the launch of Flybus service between BIA and Mysore here on Wednesday, Transport Minister and KSRTC chairman Ramalinga Reddy said the new routes would help passengers en-route these destinations to take the Flybus service to the BIA and back.
A survey conducted by KSRTC had revealed that air passengers from Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Salem and Trichy take the Chennai Airport and those from Tirupati and Ananthpur take the Hyderabad Airport.
If direct bus services are provided between these cities and BIA, passengers can save the time they travel by road to reach the airport and back, the survey said.
“The non-stop Flybus between BIA and Mysore travels via Yelahanka, Jalahalli West, Ayyappa Temple, NICE Road, and Mysore Road without entering Bangalore city. Already about 50 passengers have made advance reservations for the service,” he said.
Mr. Reddy said about three to four thousand people travel between BIA and Mysore every day. If they choose public transport, they would be forced to change services at three places and if they go for cabs, they would have to spend a substantial amount on hire charges.
The Flybus was conceptualised to offer an affordable and comfortable travel, he said.
The buses depart from BIA at 9.45 a.m. and 9.45 p.m. to reach Mysore at 1.45 p.m. and 1.30 a.m. respectively. Mysore-BIA service departs from Mysore at 2 p.m. and 2 a.m. to reach BIA at 6 p.m. and 5.45 a.m.
BIAL managing director G.V. Sanjay Reddy said the airport was happy to partner with the KSRTC to prove its vision of Bangalore as the gateway to the South.
