BENGALURU: A month after applications opened for Karnataka’s free student bus pass scheme, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has issued around 50,000 passes, a quarter of the nearly two lakh passes it distributes for an academic year.
The scheme announced by the state government aims to ease travel costs for students. However, many applicants are still waiting for the passes as verification and processing are in progress.
A teacher at the Government Urdu School on Mosque Road said, “More than 50% of our students use BMTC buses. We have already applied for the bus passes, but they are yet to be issued. Until then, the students either pay the fare or show their school identity cards to commute.”
Some students, however, have already received the passes. A student of a government pre-university college in Malleswaram said he and several of his classmates have received the passes a few days ago.
The BMTC clarified that students who had purchased bus passes before the government announced the scheme have been reimbursed the charges collected. According to the corporation, 234 passes were issued before the order came into effect.
The BMTC also said that according to the Seva Sindhu portal, after the applications are submitted, there is a 15-day waiting time. The BMTC has arranged a professional team to approve the applications within two or three days.
Incomplete applications, which are missing details such as college receipts, residential information and proper travel route will be rejected, officials said. The BMTC also clarified that it has extended the validity of 2025-26 student bus passes for professional, degree,
technical and medical students for two months, considering the ongoing classes and examinations. Students can avail the facility at the Kempegowda Bus Station on a payment of Rs 100 processing fee, subject to verification by their educational institution.
BMTC addresses commuter complaints
The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has issued a series of directives to improve passenger services and address commuter complaints following Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh’s surprise inspection of BMTC buses on Saturday.
BMTC said the minister’s observations had been taken seriously, and the Managing Director had instructed all divisional controllers, traffic officers and depot managers to ensure strict compliance with passenger-friendly measures. Drivers have been directed to stop buses only at designated bus stops, while both drivers and conductors have been instructed to treat passengers courteously.
The corporation also reiterated that UPI payments through the dynamic QR codes available on Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETMs) must be accepted, and that no passenger should be denied travel or asked to alight due to a lack of change. Officials have also been asked to identify bus shelters that are not reflected as designated stops on ETMs and submit reports so they can be added to the system.
