BENGALURU: With the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) diverting most of its buses for the poll day, citizens had a tough time finding buses to reach their native places to cast votes. The non-availability of sufficient buses,which required the attention of the authorities concerned, dampened the spirit of voting among people exercising their franchise.
Commuters were not able to gain entry into buses due to the crowds, which put out the question of even finding a seat. The throng, forced many voters to take the train but situation in the trains was no less. Besides, traffic on the Mysuru Road till the Kengeri crossing haunted motorists. The bus station at Satellite and the railway station at Kengeri were also overcrowded with passengers, who were desperately trying to go back to their home towns.
On the other hand, those who failed to find crowd-free buses, thronged the railway station at Kengeri with hopes of boarding a train home.
Hundreds of passengers were found crossing the tracks at Kengeri, desperate to somehow catch their trains. Boarding a train, holding his baby in one hand, Prasanna, a native of Pandavapura taluk in Mandya district who was travelling with his wife, narrated the plight of commuters who were seen cursing the authorities for not ensuring the required transport facilities to cater to the needs of the poll day.
“One of my friends’ wedding was fixed at 10am on Friday but it was later changed to 6.15am, to help friends and relatives attend the function and later go to vote. Therefore, I came on a two-wheeler from Rajajinagar to Ullal, where the wedding was held. We returned from the function, parked our two-wheeler at Kengeri railway station, and took the train to my native place to vote, as there were no sufficient buses. There was no space to even step inside the train, but we somehow managed to board the train,” Prasanna said.
Another commuter said that the weekend has worsened the situation, with people travelling to their native places to vote and then stay on for Saturday and Sunday.