Photo credit: K Murali Kumar via The Hindu
Milestone: With an increased demand for buses after the Shakti Scheme was introduced, Karnataka Government has promised to add 4000 buses to its bus fleet and hire 13,000 more employees.
Update - July 18: The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation will soon be adding 921 non-AC electric buses from Tata Motors to its fleet soon.
Update - June 30: The transport department has sought the state government's approval for adding 4000 buses to the state's bus fleet.
On Sunday, June 11, the Karnataka Government launched the Shakti Scheme which offered free bus rides within the state for women and transgender people. According to the Karnataka Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, the aim of this scheme is to “empower women,” as “when women are empowered, economic and social inequality can be reduced gradually.”[1]
But only one day after the scheme was launched, commuters are complaining that the buses are overcrowded.
“After the government launched the Shakti scheme, the bus was packed tight” said a daily commuter. She added, “usually, the bus will not be so crowded since I use the non-peak hour buses but even around 1 p.m. my bus was crowded.”
Additionally, children who rely on buses to reach schools have been boarding dangerously overcrowded buses. Some are even standing on footboards throughout their journeys.[2]
These commuters' experiences are telling of the fact that there are not enough buses. According to a report submitted to the government by the transport department, for the scheme to be implemented successfully, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will have to add nearly 4,028 more buses to its fleet for the successful implementation of the scheme.[3]
Corroborating this report, an urban mobility expert has stated that “considering its population (15 million), Bengaluru should have 15,000-16,000 buses, more than double the current fleet (6,500).[4]
Join us in demanding BMTC to:
- Increase the number of buses running under the Shakti Scheme;
- and provide a completion timeline for the same.
Sources:
[1] The Hindu
[2] Star of Mysore - School Kids Struggle
[3] Indian Express
[4] Deccan Herald
Photo credit: K Murali Kumar via The Hindu
Milestone: With an increased demand for buses after the Shakti Scheme was introduced, Karnataka Government has promised to add 4000 buses to its bus fleet and hire 13,000 more employees.
Update - July 18: The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation will soon be adding 921 non-AC electric buses from Tata Motors to its fleet soon.
Update - June 30: The transport department has sought the state government's approval for adding 4000 buses to the state's bus fleet.
On Sunday, June 11, the Karnataka Government launched the Shakti Scheme which offered free bus rides within the state for women and transgender people. According to the Karnataka Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, the aim of this scheme is to “empower women,” as “when women are empowered, economic and social inequality can be reduced gradually.”[1]
But only one day after the scheme was launched, commuters are complaining that the buses are overcrowded.
“After the government launched the Shakti scheme, the bus was packed tight” said a daily commuter. She added, “usually, the bus will not be so crowded since I use the non-peak hour buses but even around 1 p.m. my bus was crowded.”
Additionally, children who rely on buses to reach schools have been boarding dangerously overcrowded buses. Some are even standing on footboards throughout their journeys.[2]
These commuters' experiences are telling of the fact that there are not enough buses. According to a report submitted to the government by the transport department, for the scheme to be implemented successfully, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will have to add nearly 4,028 more buses to its fleet for the successful implementation of the scheme.[3]
Corroborating this report, an urban mobility expert has stated that “considering its population (15 million), Bengaluru should have 15,000-16,000 buses, more than double the current fleet (6,500).[4]
Join us in demanding BMTC to:
- Increase the number of buses running under the Shakti Scheme;
- and provide a completion timeline for the same.
Sources:
[1] The Hindu
[2] Star of Mysore - School Kids Struggle
[3] Indian Express
[4] Deccan Herald