BENGALURU: The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) on Wednesday informed the Karnataka High Court that 58 per cent of its buses have an audio announcement system for the benefit of visually impaired people. However, 2,562 buses do not have this system, the civic body said.
The statement was made before a division bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by visually challenged advocate N Shreyas, seeking directions to provide audio-announcement systems in buses so that visually impaired persons know their bus stops and destination points in advance.
The BMTC further stated that out of 2,562 buses, 1,141 buses will be scrapped in a phase-wise manner. The scrapped buses will be replaced by new 921 electric buses by December 24. It is also taking steps to issue tender notification in 2024. The court permitted the BMTC to complete further exercises to procure and install the system in buses till April 15, 2024.