Travelling cool: Suburban AC buses draw 1.5 lakh passengers, earn Rs 1.3 crore in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s decision to introduce air-conditioned suburban bus services this summer has received a strong response from commuters.According to the transport corporation’s data, around 1.5 lakh passengers have travelled on 28 AC ‘Vajra Vistara’ buses operating on the Kanakapura, Ramanagara-Channapatna, and Chikkaballapur routes, helping the corporation generate a revenue of Rs 1.3 crore since March this year.Following the expansion of its operational jurisdiction to a 40 km radius beyond the limits of Greater Bengaluru Authority, BMTC launched the suburban AC service to cater to growing commuter demand. The first service was introduced between Banashankari and Kanakapura in the first week of March. BMTC has deployed eight buses on the route, with over 81,000 passengers already using the service, generating revenue of Rs 56.7 lakh.During the same period, BMTC also launched an AC bus service between Bengaluru and Ramanagara. From May 8, the service was extended up to Channapatna. Currently, eight buses operate nearly 40 trips on the route. A senior BMTC official said that until May 8, nearly 35,000 passengers had used the service up to Ramanagara, and ridership has increased further after the extension to Channapatna.On the Bengaluru-Chikkaballapur route, BMTC currently operates six buses. Between May 1 and 15, close to 20,000 passengers used the service. Unlike the other two routes, AC services to Chikkaballapur were first introduced in 2023 with only two buses, but the fleet has now been expanded to six buses because of increasing demand.The official said commuter response to the suburban AC services has improved steadily. “Since these routes connect to suburban areas, fares have been kept competitive. Within Bengaluru city limits, AC bus fares are close to Rs 2 per km, but on suburban routes, the fare has been fixed at around Rs 1.2 per km. Compared to ordinary buses operated by KSRTC, the AC bus fare is only around Rs 20 higher,” the official said.The official added that the services offer faster connectivity with limited stops, making them attractive to daily commuters. “For example, once the bus leaves Ramanagara for Bengaluru, there are no stops on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway until it reaches the city.”BMTC officials said the suburban AC services were introduced after obtaining approval from KSRTC, which continues to operate ordinary bus services on these routes.