logo
BMTC launches metro feeder bus from S.V. Road station to Kaggadasapura via DRDO and Bagmane Tech park

BMTC launches metro feeder bus from S.V. Road station to Kaggadasapura via DRDO and Bagmane Tech park

The Hindu3 days ago
BMTC launched a feeder bus service (314 A/1) from S. V. Road metro station to Kaggadasapura in C. V. Raman Nagar Assembly constituency on July 19. Initially, the service will be available in the mornings and evenings.
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.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How This Engineer's Campaign Led To Bengaluru's First Feeder Bus
How This Engineer's Campaign Led To Bengaluru's First Feeder Bus

NDTV

time10 hours ago

  • NDTV

How This Engineer's Campaign Led To Bengaluru's First Feeder Bus

Bengaluru: There is a story behind Metro Feeder Bus 314A/1, launched on July 19 by Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to serve the residents of Kaggadasapura and C V Raman Nagar. And the moral of the story too: when people get together, they can get things done. It took 400 signatures from citizens concerned and three months of hustling the power that be before the long-awaited bus materialised. The feeder bus, apart from serving residents, is also expected to benefit those working in Bagmane Tech Park as well as the employees of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) office in Kaggadasapura. The campaign started in 2024, said Shachi Pathak, a resident of Kaggadasapura who led the campaign. "To get that 400 signatures was not easy, but it was easier than my first civic campaign to rejuvenate Kaggadasapura lake. Now, I understand how to go about these things: persuasion is the key," said Pathak to PTI. Pathak, who has been active in civic volunteering space since 2022, knows how the system works, agreed Srinivas Alavilli, Senior Fellow at WRI India, who works on creating sustainable transport solutions. "She understood the route needs, mobilised her neighbours and apartment associations. Collected 400 signatures and then submitted a formal petition to BMTC in person," he added. A software engineer, who had to quit her job for personal reasons, Pathak said she now runs a firm that provides resume writing consultation. Pathak, 44, moved to Bengaluru from Varanasi after her marriage in 2006. "Initially, I started by volunteering to manage social media groups of residents from C V Raman Nagar and K R Puram constituencies. It didn't take me long to realise that there is a huge gap between people having issues and authority taking action. To bridge this gap, we need more active citizens," she added. Pathak recalled how when she finally stood up for Kaggadasapura lake, she stood alone as no one really knew her. "It was also a lonely battle, because people had by then given up. I was not the first one to talk about it. But I still surveyed and collected feedback from hundreds of residents and submitted it to the Chief Commissioner and MLAs," said Pathak. The success of that project and her conviction had people rallying behind her for the subsequent campaigns. Around October 2023, Pathak said she joined the group of people who were pushing for the first feeder bus for the area. "The first bus came easily enough, in just a month, but one feeder bus service was not enough to cover the whole area, so our neighbourhood got left out," said Pathak. The next phase of their campaign faced delays, she added. "BMTC was slow to act on some of our suggestions, and key routes like Kaggadasapura Main Road remained unaddressed. Additionally, damaged roads forced us to pause efforts for a while. After the Lok Sabha elections in mid-2024, we revived the campaign with renewed energy," she said. Over the years of dealing with authorities, Pathak said she understood the power of people getting together. "One person does not matter to the authorities. The more people, the better it is for the campaign. Also, persuasion is a continuous process. So, I realised that it is very important to keep people engaged and to build a community," said Pathak. This is where 'X', Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, came to her help, said Pathak. Through various groups, she and other volunteers cater to the social needs of her neighbourhood. "We help residents to connect with each other to get information or advice on education, real estate, reselling of old items, or even pursue their hobbies. We also have a group for Kannada learning. Many women entrepreneurs are benefitting from these groups," said Pathak. Another citizen group that is leveraging social media to build a community is the popular HSR Citizen Forum, whose sustainable living campaigns often go viral. Incidentally, the first successful feeder bus service was introduced in HSR Layout in August 2023. Shashidhara K, a member of HSR Citizen Forum, said because they were selected by Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT)'s Sustainable Mobility Accords (SuMA) Initiative, due to their proactive citizen initiatives, they could plan the route and stops, based on the feedback from residents, making the service most effective in Bengaluru. "We planned this over three years with DULT. We had bus stops at every 300 m, about 18 of them, and situated in such a way that either direction commuters would have access to a bus every 5 to 8 minutes," said Shasidhara. But where HSR Citizen Forum really won is in its relentless outreach efforts. The campaign that lasted three months ingrained the idea of using feeder buses that they run full almost at any time, said Shanthi Tummala, an active member of the citizen forum, to PTI. People, irrespective of their social standing, have developed the habit of jumping into them instead of taking their private vehicles, she added. Tummala said BMTC had introduced feeder buses twice before in HSR Layout and had to phase them out as they didn't get expected traction. "This time, we decided to involve citizens even during the planning stage. We put out route maps at every place possible. We literally drove into every resident's head about the availability of service, timings and the route. It has paid off now," added Tummala.

Here's what 400 signatures achieved in Bengaluru: The inspiring journey of Metro Feeder Bus 314A/1
Here's what 400 signatures achieved in Bengaluru: The inspiring journey of Metro Feeder Bus 314A/1

Hindustan Times

time10 hours ago

  • Hindustan Times

Here's what 400 signatures achieved in Bengaluru: The inspiring journey of Metro Feeder Bus 314A/1

Bengaluru witnessed a remarkable example of citizen power with the launch of Metro Feeder Bus 314A/1 on July 19 by the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC). This new bus route now connects the residents of Kaggadasapura and C V Raman Nagar, providing much-needed connectivity and easing daily commutes for those living and working in the area, including employees of Bagmane Tech Park and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), according to news agency PTI. A petition with 400 signatures prompted BMTC to enhance public transport for local commuters, thus launching the metro feeder bus. READ | Pawan Kalyan's Hari Hara Veera Mallu posters torn by Kannada activists in Bengaluru. Video The road to this success was anything but easy. It took the persistent efforts of local residents, led by Shachi Pathak of Kaggadasapura, who spearheaded a campaign that gathered 400 signatures over three months, the report stated. The signatures formed the foundation of a formal petition to BMTC, urging action for better public transport options. READ | 'Its skid game for Namma Bengaluru…': Residents enact scene from this series to highlight civic apathy. Watch Pathak, a civic volunteer since 2022 with deep knowledge of navigating bureaucratic channels, described how rallying neighbours and apartment associations was key. "To get that 400 signatures was not easy, but it was easier than my first civic campaign to rejuvenate Kaggadasapura lake. Now, I understand how to go about these things: persuasion is the key," Pathak said, as quoted by the agency. Social media platforms like Instagram, 'X', Facebook, and WhatsApp proved invaluable for building community connections, offering residents a space to exchange information, support initiatives, and strengthen ties, the report said. READ | Bollywood Rolls-Royces rack up huge fines in Bengaluru, but here's the twist: Report The newfound Metro feeder bus route in Kaggadasapura stands as a testament to how collective citizen action — just 400 signatures strong — can drive meaningful change, improving urban mobility and quality of life. (With inputs from PTI)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store