In Bengaluru, BMTC marks 25 years on Independence Day; Twitter shows support

Bengaluru's Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) observed 25 years of its inception on Independence Day and offered free rides to all commuters.

Updated on: Aug 16, 2022, 11:10:58 IST

By Yamini C S

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As India celebrated 75 years of freedom, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) observed 25 years of its inception and offered free rides to all commuters in the state capital of Karnataka on Monday. It has been 25 years since the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) was established and demand for the public transport seems to be rising steadily amid Bengaluru's daily battles with heavy traffic congestion.

The evolution of BMTC buses from 1997 to 2022. (Image source: Siddharth/Twitter)

Messages of support emerged on Twitter. A Twitter user - Siddharth - posted pictures of the ‘evolution’ of BMTC's bus fleet over the years and said, “1997 to 2022 !!! Moving Bangalore with care !! Moved on over the years !!! Happy Birthday BMTC !!”

“Happy Independence Day! Happy 25 Years of @BMTC_BENGALURU #AzaadiKaAmritMahotsav,” another tweeted.

BMTC, which has a daily ridership of 16 lakh to 27 lakh people, also made travel free for all commuters to celebrate India's 76th Independence Day. News agency PTI quoted a BMTC official as saying that about 27 lakh people took free rides on Monday.

“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 unprecedented crowds thronging them. Efficient PT can do wonders to this city,” Shilpa Rao, a volunteer coordinator for Citizens for Bengaluru wrote on Twitter.

“Some experiencing Volvo bus rides for the 1st time, smiling commuters despite packed buses, car users traveling by bus today for a change and many such. The day ended with the inauguration of the airport bus from Silk Institute to KIA by the IT Director of @BMTC_BENGALURU @SuryaSen,” she added.

The day saw several commuters ditching their personal vehicles to adopt BMTC and Namma Metro instead, with a Twitter user Piyush Sharma writing, “Finally over the guilt of driving on a day when BMTC is offering free rides....just had an amazing ride in BMTC bus.”

The corporation also had citizens excited after it launched 300 new electric buses on Sunday, dedicating it to the “citizens of the city”. It also identified five bus routes to run these newly introduced electric buses.

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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