At night, BMTC leaves waiting passengers anxious Premium

In a city like Bengaluru, which is home to many types of industries and service sectors, the public transport system at night leaves a lot to be desired. Regular commuters complain of night bus services that are few and far between, forcing them to rely on autos, taxis or private vehicles, and lack of safety at bus stops. BMTC authorities, on the other hand, say there is not much demand for night services 

Finding a city bus to travel at night is a harrowing experience for people who work late hours or those who arrive in the city after long-distance travel. Chethan Kumar, who works in a restaurant near Sahakarnagar said, “After finishing work around 11 p.m., I rush to Kodigehalli Gate bus stand to catch a bus that goes towards Devanahalli. At night, the frequency of buses is not good. After getting down near Bagalur Cross, I walk for 2 km to reach home. There are hardly any buses on Bagalur Main Road at night. It is extremely difficult for those who work till late night to rely on city buses.”

According to the information shared by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), the corporation operates 59 schedules from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. as night service buses. Officials claim that the ‘night out’ service of the corporation, operated between 2 p.m. and 2 p.m. (next day), caters to the demand of people travelling at night. A total of 2,615 buses are operated in this shift. The BMTC has a fleet size of 6,767 buses out of which 5,563 buses are operated daily.

When asked about complaints by passengers on the lack of adequate bus services at night, a BMTC official said, “We are providing bus services as per the demand. We do not see much demand for night services. The operational cost of running a bus is more than ₹65 per km. But in most of the services operated at night, the earnings per km is not even ₹25. This is an indication that there is no demand.” To travel in night service buses, passengers pay one-and-a-half fare.

This, however, seems like a chicken and egg situation. The Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels’ Association and several retailers are keen that they be allowed to exercise the permission given by the State government to keep the establishments open for 24 hours. But they complain that it is not viable as people do not stay out due to lack of public transport at night-time. Meanwhile, already staff-crunched city police also do not allow establishments to stay open all through the night in view of safety concerns. They also cite lack of safe public transport at night-time.

Issues faced by women

Twenty-five-year-old Prakruthi R. waits for about 15 to 20 minutes every day at the Shivajinagar bus stand between 8.30 p.m. and 9 p.m. after work to catch a bus that goes towards Hebbal. Once the bus arrives, she is tasked with finding her way inside the bus among 20-30 other passengers who are eager to get a seat. Even though she chooses to board the bus from the door on the women’s side, the pushing and pulling are relentless in the night hours. 

“As there are fewer buses at this time, people are cramped up in the ones that are available. Even though there are separate sections for men and women, in a crowded bus, it does not work like that. We have to deal with men sometimes leaning or falling on us and the conductor pushing his way through a group of women, which makes many of us feel uncomfortable,” Ms. Prakruthi said.