In a renewed attempt to decongest Bengaluru’s busy KBS Majestic bus terminal, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has started operations at the Basaveshwara bus station at Peenya again.
The bus station, built by the KSRTC at a cost of nearly Rs 40 crore, was put out of service soon after it was established in 2014. Built to support a few other satellite stations that would take the traffic leading away from the city, the bus station didn’t quite take off.
The goal was to remove some burden from the Majestic terminal by shifting the operations of all bus services bound to northern Karnataka to Peenya. However, due to the public’s reluctance to travel till Peenya to catch a KSRTC bus, private buses, which continued to operate from Majestic, became their mode to travel. This led to the KSRTC incurring losses of close to a whopping Rs 12 crore and hence the decision to use the Peenya bus station was reversed.
With the convenience of the Namma Metro line, which connects to Peenya, KSRTC is now optimistic about its move to restart operations at Peenya. On Thursday, it announced that buses travelling towards Hubballi, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Dharmasthala, Hasan, Davangere, Raichur, Pavagada, Koppal, Chikkamangalur and a few other destinations will operate from this terminal.
Other added advantages for passengers are the slashing of ticket prices by a minimum of Rs 15 and decreased travel time as they will not have to navigate through the city traffic. One of the reasons for the project’s failure earlier was the distance between the main road and the terminal. KSRTC will now operate two free shuttle services, at a 15-minute frequency, from the terminal to the Ayyappa Temple and the metro station.
As the metro station is 800 m from the terminal, a travellator, at a cost of Rs 50 crores, is also being proposed for the public’s convenience. The distance between Peenya and Majestic terminal is close to 11 km. This stretch will see a decrease in the number of buses, in turn reducing traffic congestion.
To make the project successful, plans are being made to accommodate private buses also at the terminal.
“The impact of this project will depend on how people use this facility,” said KS Vishwanath, General Manager (Traffic), KSRTC. “Right now, through news items and other media, we are trying to make the public aware of this service,” he added.
Sixty bus services have already started operating from the Peenya terminal and many more are scheduled to be shifted gradually.