BMTC launches metro feeder bus from S.V. Road station to Kaggadasapura via DRDO and Bagmane Tech park
Besides people residing in Kaggadasapura and on Kaggadasapura Main Road, the service is expected to benefit people working in Bagmane Tech Park and those residing along Thippasandra market road.
Around 15 residents turned up to welcome the bus at Kaggadasapura when the service was launched on July 19. They presented bouquets to the crew, performed pooja for the bus, and distributed sweets before boarding the bus bound for S.V. Road metro station on Old Madras Road.
BMTC metro feeder service Kaggadasapura S V Road station
V. Muthanna, a resident of Kaggadasapura, boarded the bus at Kaggadasapura and travelled the full route to-and-fro. All along the journey, he kept calling out to bystanders to inform them of the new metro feeder service. At the end of the journey, he informed other residents about his experience. 'Departed Kaggadasapura at 17:29. Returned to Kaggadasapura at 18:38. Loop time was 1 hour 9 minutes. The journey from Kaggadasapura to S.V. Road metro station is quick, but the return journey is a bit longer, as the bus comes via Thippasandra market road.'
The reason for such enthusiasm and the celebratory mood was the on-ground effort that was invested in getting this metro feeder service as part of a people-driven campaign that began in October 2023.
Milan Vernekar, a resident of Bhuvaneshwari Nagar, said, 'There is a lack of public transport from Baiyappanahalli metro station to Kaggadasapura. Taking an auto is not feasible. Auto drivers demand anything from ₹100 to ₹200 for a distance less than 3 km. Taking your two-wheeler every day is also not feasible. A feeder bus service is the most commuter-friendly option.'
While many residents of C.V. Raman Nagar and Kaggadasapura felt the need for a feeder bus service to Baiyappanahalli metro station, Shachi Pathak, a resident of 4th Cross on Kaggadasapura Main Road, aggregated the suggestions into a cohesive campaign to persuade BMTC to launch a feeder service via DRDO.
In November 2023, BMTC launched a feeder service (MF-1F), but the bus did not cover Kaggadasapura. The service began at Ramesh Nagar, went to KFC signal in Indiranagar before terminating at Binnamangala. Commuters had to walk to either the metro station at Indiranagar or S.V. Road.
Shachi Pathak said, 'We welcomed the MF-1F feeder service, but it did not serve the needs of the residents of Kaggadasapura or DRDO.'
Hence, the residents of Kaggadasapura continued to lobby with BMTC for a feeder bus.
The campaign lost momentum when BBMP began repairing a storm water drain on Kaggadasapura Main Road, as BMTC expressed helplessness in operating buses on the route while the SWD was being rebuilt.
Once the SWD was ready, residents resumed making the rounds of the BMTC depot in Indiranagar. On observing a lack of enthusiasm on the part of BMTC officials, they began collecting signatures from residents and apartment dwellers. Several letters from RWAs in the area and more than 400 signatures from individuals were collected, and presented to Prabhakar Reddy, Chief Traffic Management Officer, BMTC at their Shanti Nagar office on April 27, 2025.
In May-June, BMTC carried out a survey of the proposed route. Many resident-volunteers accompanied the BMTC team during the survey.
Shachi Pathak said, 'The signature campaign was important in convincing BMTC to conduct the survey. Later, participation of residents in the survey added weight to our demand.'
The BMTC offered to connect Kaggadasapura to S.V. Road metro station instead of Baiyappanahalli owing to logistical reasons.
Milan Vernekar said, 'The frequency is not enough, but we are happy that BMTC has started this feeder service. We hope that frequency will be increased in due course. Also, BMTC deployed a large bus. A smaller bus would have been more suitable for our narrow roads. I hope BMTC takes this feedback into account.'
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