BENGALURU: With the pandemic declining, nearly 94 per cent of train operations have been restored in Bengaluru Railway Division, and almost 80 per cent of the pre-Covid footfall, averaging 1.25 lakh a day, is being recorded at KSR Bengaluru station now. Strangely, 300 bus trips that were run daily by BMTC from the railway station premises are yet to restart, putting passengers to much inconvenience.
BMTC officials had, at a recent meeting with Railway officials, expressed their keenness to restart buses from the main entrance. A top BMTC official said, “Railways gave us an in-principle nod to go ahead, but have not facilitated the process. Space needs to be earmarked to station buses, as well as for passengers to wait. Our one-way trips from KSR Station to all parts of the city proved very convenient for the public.”
Asked about it, a railway official said that no official communication had been sent by BMTC on restarting operations. A BMTC official countered it, saying there was no need for such a formal communication. A source pondered if the powerful taxi lobby could be behind the delay in restarting bus services from KSR Station.
While the main entry to KSR Station is bursting at its seams with public and vehicles, the third entry, adjacent to it on Gubbi Thotadappa Road (Station Road) is ignored by the public. It was inaugurated on June 29, 2019, and a ticket counter was set up, with the intention of decongesting the main entrance. It offers direct access to Platform One. Students from the Railway Training Institute were spotted playing cricket here.
Ajay Singh, Chief Public Relations Officer, South Western Railway Zone, said, “Patronage of this entry did not pick up as it was launched before Covid, and passenger trains were suspended. This led to discontinuation of bus services. Two escalators connecting the FOB from Platform One to the third entry are being installed for passenger convenience.” A senior BMTC official said the poor patronage did not merit running of buses from here.