Latest news with #BMTC
The Hindu
12 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
BMTC launches metro feeder bus from S.V. Road station to Kaggadasapura via DRDO and Bagmane Tech park
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.'
News18
a day ago
- News18
Instagram 'Friend' Tries To Kill Bengaluru Woman's Cousin After She Refuses To Marry Him
Last Updated: On the afternoon of July 17, Karthik called the woman's father and insisted on meeting near the BMTC bus stand in Malleswaram. Chatting with a man on social media platform Instagram proved costly for a woman in Bengaluru as he attacked her relative after she refused his marriage proposal. The incident took place in Bengaluru's HAL area on July 17. Obsessed with the woman, the accused had repeatedly offered the woman, who is already married, to marry him. His obsession turned violent when he allegedly tried to kill the woman's cousin by slashing his throat while they were on a moving two-wheeler. The accused has been identified as Selva Karthik from Uthangarai town in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district. Karthik had reportedly developed a one-sided romantic feelings for the woman he came across on Instagram. Despite her repeated refusals and warnings to keep away, Karthik allegedly continued harassing her, even threatening her and her family with death. The woman, living in Kaggadasapura with her husband Shiva, had gone to her parent's house in June. Two days after her arrival, Karthik appeared at her house and intimidated her in front of her family, demanding she speak to him and accept his proposal. When her father intervened, she clarified that Karthik was merely an Instagram acquaintance. Following further threats, including demands that she leave her husband and marry him or he would harm her father and relatives, her family grew alarmed and moved to Bengaluru to address the situation. On the afternoon of July 17, Karthik called the woman's father and insisted on meeting near the BMTC bus stand in Malleswaram. The father, accompanied by Prashanth, the woman's cousin, went to the location on a scooter. Karthik persuaded them to ride with him towards Vibhutipura to discuss matters. As they rode, with Prashanth seated in the middle and Karthik at the back, the accused allegedly pulled out a knife and slashed Prashanth's throat, threatening to kill both of them and escape. The father quickly pulled over and managed to avoid a second attack. The violent altercation drew the attention of locals who rushed to the spot. In the meantime, Karthik fled the scene. Prashanth was rushed to a nearby clinic for initial treatment and later transferred to Manipal Hospital, where he is currently in the ICU. Following the complaint, police have registered a case of attempted murder and other relevant charges against Selva Karthik, who is now in custody. Investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of his actions and mental state. view comments First Published: July 20, 2025, 14:52 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
a day ago
- India Today
Rejected Insta 'friend' threatens married woman, tries to kill her kin in Bengaluru
A disturbing case of obsession spiraled into violence in Bengaluru's HAL area on July 17, when a man allegedly attempted to kill a woman's relative by slitting his throat, while riding on a moving accused, identified as Selva Karthik, a resident of Uthangarai town, Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu, had reportedly developed a one-sided romantic interest in a married woman he came across on Instagram. Despite her repeated refusals and warnings to stay away, Karthik allegedly continued to harass her, going as far as issuing death threats to her and her woman, married and settled in Kaggadasapura with her husband Shiva, had returned to her parent's home in June. Two days into her stay, Karthik is said to have showed up at the house and threatened her in front of her family, demanding that she talk to him and accept his proposal. When confronted by her father, the woman clarified that Karthik was just an Instagram acquaintance, not a friend. Following further threats, including one where Karthik allegedly told the woman to leave her husband and marry him, or else he would kill her father and relatives, her family grew alarmed and rushed to Bengaluru to tackle the July 17 afternoon, Karthik called the complainant (the woman's father) and demanded a meeting near the BMTC bus stand in Malleswaram. The father, along with Prashanth, the woman's cousin, went to the location on a convinced them to ride with him toward Vibhutipura to "talk things out". While riding on the two-wheeler, Prashanth seated in the middle and Karthik at the back, the accused allegedly pulled out a knife and slashed Prashanth's throat from behind, shouting that he would kill both of them and complainant immediately pulled over and managed to dodge a second attack aimed at him. Alerted by the screams, locals gathered and Karthik fled the scene with the knife in was immediately rushed to a nearby clinic for first aid and later shifted to Manipal Hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment in the on the complaint, police have registered a case of attempted murder and other relevant sections against Selva Karthik, who is now in custody. Investigations are underway to ascertain the full extent of his actions and mental state.- Ends
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
BMTC steps in to solve ORR agony
Pic: Chethan Shivakumar For years, Bengaluru has been trying to find a solution to the severe traffic congestion on Outer Ring Road (ORR), along which some 10 lakh employees work across 26 tech parks. A metro line is being constructed on the road, which could at least partially be ready by late next year. But Manas Das, president of Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA), is sceptical about whether this will have the desired impact on the road, given the way tech parks and employee numbers are growing, and the trend of companies increasingly mandating work from office. A new bus initiative has raised hopes. In 2023, ORRCA started a programme called personal-to-public (P2P), encouraging people to give up their private vehicles and get on to public transport – at least twice a week. That has had some impact. This could now get bolstered with two initiative BMTC has just launched. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru BMTC's Vajra Express Service and chartered buses to ease traffic congestion Most techies would find BMTC's Vajra Express service extremely affordable. A ride from Hebbal to Marathahalli costs Rs 50, and up to Silk Board is Rs 70. These air-conditioned electric buses with limited stops, Das says, are plying empty most of the time. So ORRCA is creating a campaign around it to build awareness. BMTC has also offered chartered bus options to the tech parks and companies in the parks. 'These buses will be exclusively for people working in these tech parks. At an agreed rate, the tech parks and companies can subscribe to the services of BMTC instead of running their own private vehicles. Replacing 1,000 cabs with 50 buses would significantly reduce traffic congestion on the road,' Das says. With the supply-side logistics addressed, the focus has shifted to generating demand. ORRCA has initiated discussions with tech parks to use the chartered bus option. Ensuring sufficient ridership is essential, because it's also a matter of BMTC's financial viability. Multiple tech parks, Das says, can share a single vehicle to maximise utilisation. Solving for last mile One thing that discourages techies from opting for regular buses, including the Vajra Express, is the considerable walking distance from entrance gates to office buildings in these sprawling campuses. Public transport becomes more acceptable when people need to walk no more than 500 metres to a kilometre, to catch a bus. 'BMTC has shown some willingness to take the buses inside the campuses,' Das says. Vishnu Prasad, founder & member of Save Bellandur Forum, is angry that tech parks aren't investing enough in public infrastructure that could benefit everyone. 'Why can't they run loop shuttles? Why can't Ecospace, Intel, Ecoworld and Wipro interconnect their buildings with roads and accessible walkways? Why can't they promote access to their campus from bus stops through dedicated (overhead) pathways?,' he asks. Kamesh Rastogi, an IT professional who works with Oracle on ORR, agrees. He believes MNCs must contribute to ORR by investing in service roads and private buses connecting major tech parks to city hubs. Poor civic body coordination A huge complaint, like in much of the city, is also about civic bodies like BMRCL, BBMP, BMTC, KPTCL and Bescom not working in a coordinated manner. The worst of this is when BBMP restores a road, after which one of the others promptly digs it up again. There's an ORR coordination group that includes ORRCA and all the civic bodies that has had some impact. But not as much as tech parks and companies would like. Das notes that ORR unfortunately has no parallel road to share the traffic burden. What it does have are arterial roads that can serve that purpose to some extent. But that project to widen and improve those roads has been on-going for years. Das says some 14-15 of them have got some attention, and a few more are making progress. Police promise on DB Halli Probably the biggest congestion point on ORR is the DB Halli junction, close to the entry points to the Ecoworld and Ecospace parks. Karthik Reddy, joint commissioner of police (traffic), says he will call a meeting with ORRCA and other key stakeholders to find immediate and long-term solutions to address the issue. VOICE BOX The primary bottleneck on ORR are the entry points to Ecoworld and Ecospace. These choke points are also causing a spillover effect, leading to congestion on surrounding roads. We will work towards finding both immediate and long-term solutions to address this issue. Karthik Reddy I will soon call a meeting with ORRCA and other key stakeholders to discuss actionable steps for decongesting these critical stretches. Karthik Reddy, JOINT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE (TRAFFIC), BENGALURU Metro's Blue Line that connects Silk Board to K R Puram will be operational by mid-2026. Maheshwar Rao It will help improve connectivity and reduce travel time. Maheshwar Rao M, CHIEF COMMISSIONER, BBMP, AND FORMER MD, BMRCL The BBMP is currently undertaking widening work on eight of the 22 arterial roads identified by ORRCA to take some of the load off ORR. We hope they will also make it really motorable. Manas Das The govt department's idea of a motorable road is far different from ours. For them, a mud laid road could be motorable. Manas Das, PRESIDENT, OUTER RING ROAD COMPANIES ASSOCIATION (ORRCA) Operating chartered bus services is a great initiative. Mukund Kumar Those working along ORR would welcome this transportation option. Mukund Kumar, MEMBER, SAVE SARJAPURA Companies' mandatory office attendance policies are compelling employees to commute daily. The infrastructure lacks the capacity to handle this massive number of commuters. ORR is also severely damaged with numerous potholes. It is like driving through hell. With the ongoing never-ending metro construction and rain, everything just spirals out of control. Pollution and dust add to our woes. Manjjari Behal Over a decade, the traffic situation in and around Ecospace has gone from bad to worse. I remember how the traffic jam used to extend to Pritex Park inside Ecospace post 6pm 12 years ago. We haven't learnt our lessons and now the cutoff time to escape traffic is 4pm. Manjjari Behal, WORKS WITH AN MNC IN ECOSPACE We experience significant delays at the congested areas near Ecoworld and Ecospace. Gaurav Pandey The success of BMTC charter operations depends heavily on resolving the final stretch connectivity issues for passengers. Gaurav Pandey, WORKS WITH AMADEUS LABS IN PRESTIGE TECH PARK I have been working on ORR since 2007 and have seen the degradation in infrastructure over the years. Road quality has worsened, poor drainage systems lead to water accumulation, traffic is really congested. Kamesh Rastogi The commute of about 8 km from HSR Layout to the Oracle Technology Hub requires 45-50 mins in the afternoon. Major intersections such as Ecoworld, Ecospace and the multiplex regularly face traffic bottlenecks, frequently reaching up to Ibbaluru. Kamesh Rastogi, IT PROFESSIONAL, ORACLE Collective solutions would be possible only if all stakeholders – citizens, administration, traffic police and companies – come together. Organisations should implement flexible working hours for their staff. People should consider sharing rides and choosing non-peak travel times. The authorities need to ensure swift completion of ongoing infrastructure projects. Shaila Prabhu BBMP's construction work is totally shoddy. Projects drag on indefinitely without timelines. Construction debris remains scattered on roads. Corruption is the major issue. A beautiful city is in shambles. Shaila Prabhu, RETIRED BANKER, MAKES REGULAR TRIPS TO ORR TO VISIT RELATIVES The traffic congestion on ORR stems from employees accessing the area exclusively through the Ecoworld entrance. A coordinated effort is essential to create multiple access points through Ecospace, Intel and Wipro, which would help distribute the traffic flow. Vishnu Prasad Swift completion of the Blue Line metro project would significantly ease the congestion. Vishnu Prasad, FOUNDER AND MEMBER, SAVE BELLANDUR FORUM
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Karnataka government invokes Essential Services Maintenance Act, prohibits strike by transport staff
Bengaluru: In the wake of the joint action committee of Karnataka Road Transport Corporations Employees' Association calling for an indefinite strike with effect from Aug 5, the govt Thursday issued a notification exercising powers conferred under the Karnataka Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), 2013, prohibiting a strike by employees of all four road transport corporations in the state. The notification states that employees (of KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, and KKRTC) shouldn't participate in the strike as their services are considered essential. It also mentions that considering public interest and public order, the provisions of ESMA have been exercised. The prohibition is in effect till Dec 31, 2025. The joint action committee, calling for the strike, is demanding the clearance of 38 months of arrears related to the previous salary revision, the implementation of a new wage revision effective from Jan 1, 2024, and the withdrawal of legal cases filed against employees, among other issues. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Meanwhile, another body of the unions of RTCs — Karnataka Rajya Raste Sarige Nalku Corporations Unions — said it would observe a hunger strike from July 29 at Freedom Park and the district headquarters, demanding the fulfilment of its demands. This employees' body has sought, among other things, salary for corporation employees on a par with the Seventh Pay Commission with effect from Jan 1, 2024, the clearance of arrears, and the holding of elections to unions.
