With very few BMTC buses on the road and autorickaw drivers fleecing the people, travelling was a nightmare for the public who had to work or had planned an outing on Sunday and Monday.
“I waited for over 75 minutes for a bus from Rammurthynagar to Cunningham Road, between 1.45 and 3 pm. It was exasperating because usually the frequency is about five minutes,” said George H (name changed on request), a regular commuter.
“To make matters worse, I had to pay an auto driver Rs 50 just to get to Banaswadi and the fare is usually not more than Rs 25,” he said.
“Just look at the bus stand,” said Priya Philips, a recovery agent at the ICICI Bank showing the near-empty Shivajinagar bus stand. ‘’I have been waiting for about 30 minutes,’’ she said.
“It was similar yesterday too. I had to wait for about two hours before I got a bus to Yelahanka,” said Suraj K, another regular commuter.
However, BMTC’s General Manager (Traffic), Prakash G said depots were instructed to cancel a few buses on those routes where multiple buses operated. “This is to ensure that buses do not run empty because of the holidays,” he said. Around 700 buses were cancelled, he said.
“I understand there are fewer people travelling today and BMTC may not be able to get its usual revenue if buses run empty. But, it should remember that service comes first,” said George.