In a big relief for residents in and around Sarjapur Road in Bengaluru, BMTC has launched three new bus routes along the IT corridor. Two routes connect Electronic City's Wipro Campus and neighbourhoods like Kasavanahalli, Doddakannalli, Haralur and HSR Layout while the third route runs in a loop to Carmelaram Railway Station covering Doddakannalli, Kadubisanahalli, Bellandur Gate and Kaikondrahalli. 

The areas are marked by several tech parks and a sizeable number of IT employees living there, and the administration hopes that the introduction of bus routes will reduce traffic congestion in the area. 

The service was flagged off at a function by Shantinagar MLA NA Harris, MLC Rizwan Arshad and Bellandur corporator Asha Suresh. 

This comes after a long demand from residents and Resident Welfare Associations (RWA) along Sarjapur Road asking for BMTC bus services in these areas. 

In October 2018, thousands of people had participated in a silent protest demanding better public transport in the Bellandur area, as part of the 'Save Bellandur' campaign. 

On February 22, MLC Rizwan Arshad wrote to MLA NA Harris about the demand and the bus routes were added within weeks. "We at the BMTC Headquarters accepted the request from Rizwan Arshad to add 4 new bus routes to aid the ITBT sector. Buses to the new routes will ply from the 28th of Feb 2019. This will further help in reducing traffic congestions in those areas," Haris tweeted. 

We at the BMTC Headquarters accepted the request from @ArshadRizwan to add 4 new bus routes to aid the ITBT sector. Buses to the new routes will ply from the 28th of Feb 2019. This will further help in reducing traffic congestions in those areas. pic.twitter.com/goAmUrwEh8

— N A Haris (@mlanaharis) February 22, 2019

The launch of the bus routes was shifted from February 28 to March 5.