BENGALURU: The first-ever Freedom Habba around Vidhana Soudha on Independence Day succeeded in turning the national celebration into a people-centric festival, drawing thousands of families, children and communities into the heart of the city. However, gaps in transport and crowd-management arrangements became evident as the event drew to a close.
Conceived by Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and backed by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, the Habba sought to move Independence Day beyond a government ceremony and make citizens active participants.
While the concept is seen as a ‘Bengaluru Model’ for other states to involve citizens in Independence Day celebrations, the success of the event also exposed gaps in planning for the last-mile movement of visitors, as TNIE observed.
As crowds began dispersing, several groups of visitors were seen waiting for BMTC buses at Cunningham Road, Queen’s Road and Vasanth Nagar. On a regular day, buses arrive at these stops within five to eight minutes, but on Saturday, many commuters waited for nearly an hour, only to find that the arriving buses were not the services they expected.
The lack of clear communication on BMTC route changes added to the confusion. While Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation had issued an advance advisory about the closure of Dr BR Ambedkar (Vidhana Soudha) Metro station, BMTC had not issued a similar public advisory on changes to bus routes for the event.
The experience highlighted the need for better travel alternatives, clearer communication and stronger crowd management at entry and exit points for future editions.