Bengaluru: BMTC plans non-AC express bus service with fewer stops to cut commute time

Unlike regular non-AC buses, the upcoming service, likely to be launched under a new brand, will come with slightly higher fares.

In a bid to offer faster public transport options for long-distance commuters, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is preparing to roll out a fleet of non-air-conditioned express buses that will make fewer stops and take advantage of city flyovers to shorten travel times, Moneycontrol reported.

The new fleet will still accommodate women passengers under the state’s Shakti scheme.(HT Photo)

Unlike regular non-AC buses, the upcoming service, likely to be launched under a new brand, will come with slightly higher fares, the report further added.

However, it will still accommodate women passengers under the state’s Shakti scheme, which provides free bus travel to women across Karnataka.

“We are working on route plans for these express services. Take Chikkaballapur, for instance, we already operate buses on that route, but the journey takes longer due to too many halts. These new buses will skip low-ridership stops and stick to major points, using flyovers where possible,” a senior BMTC official was quoted as saying by Moneycontrol.

Areas like Attibele, Harohalli, Devanahalli, and Nelamangala are also under consideration for these services, based on emerging demand and ongoing analysis of passenger data.

Move comes amid bike taxi ban

The BMTC move comes after app-based bike taxi services came to a grinding halt across Karnataka on Monday after the state’s transport department enforced a High Court directive suspending their operations.

Major ride-hailing platforms like Ola, Uber, and Rapido removed the bike taxi option from their apps, following the latest legal setback. The move came after a division bench of the Karnataka High Court declined to stay a previous order that had suspended such services in the state.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy confirmed that aggregators are now bound to follow the court's ruling. “Three months ago, the court ruled that bike taxis are illegal. It initially gave six weeks, and then another six weeks on request. Now that 12 weeks have passed, the aggregators must follow the High Court order,” he told PTI.

The division bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice V Kameshwar Rao and Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar, was hearing appeals filed by Uber India Systems Pvt Ltd, ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd (which runs Ola), and Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd (which operates Rapido), among others. The bench refused to intervene, effectively putting a pause on all bike taxi services in the state.

The crackdown has sparked concern among daily commuters and gig workers, many of whom relied on bike taxis as a faster, affordable mode of transport or source of livelihood.

(With agency inputs)