Ride bus to Vidhana Soudha on Budget day: Forum’s unusual appeal to CM

BENGALURU: With just two days remaining for the presentation of the state budget, the Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike has made an unusual appeal to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai — to travel to Vidhana Soudha by a BMTC bus and then present the budget.

Recently, members of the Vedike and other regular bus commuters had requested the Chief Minister to provide more grants in the budget to the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to enable it to buy more buses. But, with no response from the government, the Vedike has resorted to making a unique appeal.

The Bus Prayanikara Vedike feels that best way for the CM to understand the problems of commuters will be to travel in a BMTC bus himself from his R T Nagar residence to Vidhana Soudha and also provided the route numbers in several Twitter posts.

The activists are demanding that more buses be deployed, fares be cut, more facilities for women, senior citizens and transgenders be provided, and more staff be employed, among others.

“Bus commuters are faced with numerous problems. There are only 6,500 buses in BMTC’s fleet of which only 5,600 are plying, because it is facing a shortage of drivers. The state government has directed the BMTC not to hire new drivers”, said Vinayak of the Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike.

Vinayak of the Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike.

He also pointed out that the fares in Bengaluru are high. “We are requesting the CM to provide more grants and financial aid to BMTC in this budget, increase the number of buses and employ more drivers instead of outsourcing them. Like in Punjab, Delhi and Tamil Nadu, the government should make bus travel free for women, students, senior citizens and transgenders”, he added.