Bengaluru travellers stranded after govt hires 4500 buses for PM's event: Report

Local travellers were once again hit by VIP culture as the ruling BJP in Karnataka hired thousands of government buses for PM Modi's events in Bengaluru, a report said.

Published on: Nov 12, 2022, 14:04:47 IST

By Yamini C S | Edited by Chandrashekar Srinivasan

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Passengers using public buses in Bengaluru were inconvenienced Friday due to prime minister Narendra Modi's visit to the city; 4,500 buses were hired by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to ferry crowds to and from events and several trains were diverted/cancelled.

The Basavaraj Bommai-led government in Karnataka reportedly hired 2,400 BMTC buses and 2,100 KSRTC buses for PM Modi's events. ((Photo by Samuel Rajkumar/ Hindustan Times))

The Times of India said operations from the city's Majestic Bus Terminus - the busiest transport hub - had been suspended between 10 am and noon because Modi was to flag off the Vande Bharat Express from the nearby KSR Railway station.

Moreover, several KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporatino inter-state buses terminated their trips at Goraguntepalya on Tumakuru Road instead of their usual final stops.

Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai's government reportedly hired 2,400 BMTC (Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation) buses and 2,100 KSRTC buses for PM Modi's events.

This was after a controversial (and now withdrawn) circular from the Pre-University (PU) Education department mandating students of government, aided and private PU colleges to compulsorily attend the prime minister's event in buses organised by them.

READ | Karnataka withdraws circular asking students to attend PM Modi’s event amid backlash

Reports said there was no prior information about the changes in bus operations on Friday, which left locals stranded at various stops. Officials told the Times of India they expect reduced demand on Friday, as it is Kanakadasa Jayanthi and a public holiday.

READ | Siddaramaiah's birthday event leads to traffic congestion for miles in Davanagere. Watch

Bengaluru's BMTC is short on drivers, with over a thousand buses lying inoperative. Local travellers were also prohibited by traffic police from commuting via several streets around the Kempegowda International Airport on Friday ahead of PM Modi's arrival.

Furthermore, those traveling by train were also affected.

The South Western Railway (SWR) shared details of a number of trains that were cancelled, diverted or rescheduled on Friday amid South India's first Vande Bharat Express train's launch by PM Modi.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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