Time restrictions imposed for pvt buses at Majestic to prevent congestion

BENGALURU: Christmas and New Year’s are just around the corner and consecutive holidays are approaching. During such festive seasons or long weekend holidays, heavy traffic congestion is expected at Majestic.

Private buses are often parked around Majestic, affecting traffic flow. To prevent this, the traffic police have imposed time restrictions at private bus pick-up points and ease congestion.

People arriving in Bengaluru from other cities by KSRTC buses usually disembark at Majestic. The area, being the heart of Bengaluru, witnesses heavy traffic congestion around the Majestic bus station during weekends and festivals.

Private buses are often lined up on the road in front of Majestic theatre, causing inconvenience to pedestrians and vehicle users. Given the increased number of people traveling out of Bengaluru from December 25 onwards, traffic police have fixed a time limit for private buses to prevent irregular stops.

During peak seasons, festivals and long weekends, private bus operators must pick up passengers within 30 seconds. On regular days, they are given 1-2 minutes at private bus stops. If this time limit is not adhered to, it will lead to congestion of buses one after the other. Hence, the time limit has been allotted for private buses, said Karthik Reddy, Joint Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru City Traffic Division.

However, the Karnataka State Bus Owners’ Association president, Nataraj Sharma, has opposed this move by the traffic police, stating that it takes 10-15 minutes for passengers to board buses. “During long weekends and festivals, people carry more luggage, making it difficult to comply. We have requested an extension of the time limit”, he said.