In the initial days after lockdown restrictions were eased, road transport corporations were keen to increase services and operate air-conditioned buses on select routes. However, with the number of COVID-19 cases in Bengaluru consistently crossing the 2,000-mark and people wary of boarding buses, officials of the cash-strapped corporations say that it will take many more days for ridership to increase and operations to get stabilised.
Citing poor ridership, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has drastically cut down the number of services. On July 22, after the week-long lockdown restrictions were eased, BMTC resumed services with just 2,400 buses, compared to 4,700 prior to that.
“The corporation has suffered revenue loss in crores due to COVID-19. To minimise the operational loss, we will operate buses as per the demand,” said a BMTC official.
The corporation has also cut down on services to Kempegowda International Airport. “Now buses are running on only three routes such as Banashankari, Electronics City, and Majestic to the international airport. Only 10 buses to the airport are being operated, where earlier BMTC was running 21,” the official added.
Even inter-State services operated by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) ridership are in a similar situation recording low ridership on Wednesday and Thursday. Majestic and other bus stands were almost deserted with only a few passengers waiting to board buses.
“We resumed services with 2,000 buses, but the response received is too poor. We are hoping that the number will pick up after a few days. Prior to the second lockdown, many people have left the city for their hometown. They are likely to come back once COVID-19 cases start declining,” said a KSRTC official.
KSRTC used to generate close to ₹2 crore a day prior to lockdown 2.0, but revenue has currently dropped to ₹90 lakh a day since Wednesday.
The official said that they are taking extra measures while screening passengers. “Our bus crew will not allow anyone with a home quarantine seal to board the bus. However, if someone comes to the bus stand after erasing a quarantine seal, it is difficult to identify them,” he added.
All the four corporations are depending on the State government to release funds so that they can pay salaries to 1.25 lakh employees. Employees are yet to receive the salary of June.
