BMTC’s express service receives good response

BENGALURU: The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) express bus service, which was launched in June, has been a huge success, with over 60,000 passengers traveling on the 11 routes every day with 107 buses operating daily. The buses, which operate with limited stops, have been fetching a revenue of whopping Rs 5 crore per month.

People often have a negative perception of government-run bus services, but the BMTC’s express bus service has defied expectations. Despite the general skepticism, the express buses have gained immense popularity among regular Bengaluru commuters.

The Express bus service was introduced to provide faster and more efficient transportation to passengers, especially those traveling to outer areas of Bengaluru. The Express buses have limited stops, connect major parts of Bengaluru to the outskirts, reduce travel time and provide a convenient option for commuters.

Passengers no longer have to endure 30-40 stops to reach their destination. The buses have been a gamechanger for commuters, providing a convenient and efficient way to travel across the city.

The 11 routes on which the Express buses operate include:

Banashankari to Harohalli

Banashankari to Attibele

Kempegowda Bus Station to Bidadi

Kempegowda Bus Station to Nelamangala

Kempegowda Bus Station to Anekal

Kempegowda Bus Station to Doddaballapur

Kempegowda Bus Station to Dasarahalli

Kempegowda Bus Station to Nelamangala

Tin Factory to Hoskote

Hebbal Central to Silk Board

The BMTC plans to increase the frequency of the Express buses to every 5 minutes on these routes. Additionally, three new routes are being planned to be introduced soon.

Prabhakar Reddy, Chief Traffic Manager, said that the department is getting revenue of Rs 18 lakh and a whopping Rs 5 crore in the month of August through express bus services. The department is planning to increase frequency in services to 10 minutes and identify new routes to start services. “We are going to start Vegadhoota services on 3-4 new routes, including Nelamangala, Doddaballapur, Devanahalli and Hoskote. We are planning to connect such places directly through fast services”, he said.