Bengalureans were able to travel across the city for free on Independence Day, as the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transportation Corporation (BMTC) announced that all bus rides would be free as India celebrated its 75th anniversary of independence. This included not just the regular city buses, but also AC and the customised Volvo buses as well. The BMTC had also launched the programme to celebrate 25 years of service in Bengaluru.
Citizens and public transport enthusiasts appreciated the BMTC’s move, as it encouraged the public not to rely on private vehicles to commute. Many were excited about the announcement, and Bengaluru’s bus stops saw higher-than-normal crowds. Deccan Herald reported that ridership for the day crossed 35 lakh, which was a significant jump from the weekday average of 27 lakh during the pandemic.
Srinivas Alavalli, the Head of Civic Participation of the NGO Janaagraha, said that he hopes this was not a one-time event, and that the BMTC will have more such events to encourage public transport. “There are many people who are interested in taking buses but are hesitant for many reasons and this kind of initiative encourages them,” he said, adding, “Particularly, the airport buses were all full, which tells you that if you make commuting feasible, people will switch to using buses. The fare of an airport bus costs Rs 250 to 290 per person. Lots of people carpool as that will be cheaper than taking a bus.”
Many citizens also took to social media to share the experience of travelling around the city for free on Monday, August 15. However, even though it was a holiday and public transport ridership increased, Bengaluru saw major traffic snarls at various points. Further, commuters were not very happy with the BMTC for not being equipped to handle the demand for bus services on Monday, as there were long queues and a shortage of buses reported across the city.
Good to see bus stops in Bengaluru packed with people today. Today is a 'travel free' day on BMTC buses to mark 25 years of the inception of BMTC. People can travel anywhere in Bengaluru for free. pic.twitter.com/DQ6xIiYO94
— Prajwal (@prajwalmanipal) August 15, 2022
Can confirm. Was v nice. Left my wallet at home and just got on a bus to get to another part of the city. https://t.co/W9AbbkkeLm
— Sharath (@ShirtShanks) August 15, 2022
I took the bus today. Reached Majestic where it was pure chaos. Walked out and took an auto to go to Sarjapura.Right now empty streets everywhere else reminded of Bangalore of early https://t.co/qldBHNRI4I the way intercity bus stop totally empty. pic.twitter.com/WTPi1VfgB4
— chitra vishwanath (@chitrav) August 15, 2022
A gratifying day today in terms of usage of public transport in Bengaluru. Day saw packed @BMTC_BENGALURU buses and @cpronammametro trains. Bus stops and stations saw unprecented crowd thronging them. Efficient PT can do wonders to this city#IndependenceDay2022#25YearsofBMTC pic.twitter.com/3DCQhTUltY
— Shilpa Rao (@shilgiri_rao) August 15, 2022