BMTC , the only Profitable urban state transport undertaking launches Volvo campaign

BMTC posts Rs. 140 cr profit

Anil Kumar Sastry

Rs. 200 crore spent on acquiring buses and constructing depots

BANGALORE: Despite a steep increase in the cost of inputs and a marginal reduction in the average load factor, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) was able to post a profit of Rs. 140 crore in 2007-08, down from Rs. 224 crore in 2006-07.

Hop onto a Volvo and pay just Re. 1

Special Correspondent

The offer, to attract new travellers, is for four days from today

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KSRTC to construct a 46-storeyed bus station

at Majestic

It is to have traffic integration facility with KSRTC, BMTC, Railways and Namma Metro

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— Photo: K. Gopinathan 
 
Spit and polish: The new buses of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation that were introduced in Bangalore on Wednesday.

BANGALORE: Even as the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) inducted 50 Vajra (Volvo) buses to augment its fleet of air-conditioned coaches on Wednesday, it has made a promotional offer to Bangaloreans, albeit limited to four days from Thursday, to travel by a Vajra coach to any destination for Re. 1 only.

One can hop onto a Vajra coach (barring Vayu Vajras, which ply to and from the international airport) and travel to any destination just by paying Re. 1. The usual fares on these buses range from Rs. 10 to Rs. 55. The move has been described as yet another effort to decongest Bangalore roads.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and Transport Minister R. Ashok, who flagged off 50 Vajras and 50 Suvarna coaches in front of the Vidhana Soudha, said that the BMTC planned to familiarise this state-of-the-art intra-city travel facility to non-users of Vajra coaches. “Though many Bangaloreans are keen to travel in air-conditioned comfort, they are wary of getting into a Vajra bus for various reasons. Hence this decision,” said the Minister. BMTC has been operating Volvo buses in the city since January 2006.

Mr. Ashok said the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation would construct a 46-storyed bus station, the largest in Asia, at Majestic in the city. The estimated cost of the project was Rs. 1,000 crore and global tenders would be called to build it in two years. During the construction period, BMTC buses would operate from the Shantinagar and Mysore Road bus terminals. The proposed bus station would have traffic integration facility with KSRTC, BMTC, Railways and Namma Metro, the Minister said.

Connectivity

Later in the day, at another programme at Banashankari to lay the foundation stone for five travel and transit management centres (TTMC’s), Mr. Yeddyurappa said the Government was committed to providing air connectivity to all district headquarters in two years. “An efficient and sufficient public transport facility has been the backbone of the economy and my Government is committed to provide it to all places in the State,” Mr. Yeddyurappa said. On the occasion, the Chief Minister launched 25 per cent travel concession for senior citizens in State transport corporation buses by symbolically handing over tickets to six senior citizens.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ashok said his department would ruthlessly curb clandestine operations of maxi-cabs and other private vehicles, which have been operating without permit.

The TTMCs will come up at Koramangala, Shantinagar, Banashankari, ITPL and Yeshwanthpur under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. Mr. Yeddyurappa said that there should be no compromise on the quality of construction and warned of blacklisting contractors if they indulged in substandard construction.

Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda; Bangalore South MP H.N. Ananth Kumar; MLAs B.N. Vijaya Kumar, Ravi Subramanya, M. Krishnappa, M. Srinivas and Ashwathanarayan; Principal Secretary (Home and Transport) Upendra Tripathy; Transport Commissioner Bhaskar Rao; BMTC Managing Director Syed Zameer Pasha and others were present.