Latest news with #BengalurinaBussinaKathegalu
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
More than a ride: Book captures the soul of Bengaluru's bus commutes
A new bilingual (Kannada and English) book released on Monday, Bengalurina Bussina Kathegalu (Bengaluru's Bus Stories), captures heartfelt, real-life moments from the city's Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses — turning everyday commutes into compelling narratives. Compiled by a team of writers and volunteers, the book showcases vignettes of connection and community experienced aboard the city's public buses. The book is a collaborative effort by researchers from Utrecht University, The Netherlands, the EQUIMOB project, the Institute for Social and Economic Change, the Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV), and the non-profit organisation Samvada. Whether it is a conductor offering emotional support or strangers forming unexpected friendships, the stories paint a vivid picture of how BMTC buses have quietly shaped the social fabric of the city. The initiative also aims to shift public perception and celebrating bus travel as a space of possibility rather than inconvenience. Many collaborations Prajwal Nagesh, a researcher who worked on the compilation of the book, said that there is no single author for the book and it features contributions of various collaborators. 'Though every one of us has travelled in BMTC buses and have a lot of memories associated with it, it is not being recorded. The book has stories associated with the bus by people of Bengaluru,' he added. The book has 23 stories grouped into seven different themes. The event opened with volunteer Mamatha Gamana sharing her own memories of riding the bus, after which others in the audience began recounting their own journeys. In one of the stories in the book, 55-year-old Paramesh narrates his childhood memory of the double decker bus. 'For some 30-35 years, I have been using BMTC buses. If there was ever a real Bengaluru, it was back then when I sat in a BMTC bus window seat. Those (double-decker) buses were like two buses stacked on top of each other. We used to feel scared of falling while getting on those buses... The double-decker buses had two conductors. On the terrace, all the youngsters would sit, while women and older people would sit below,' he said. Making a match Ramesh shared how a conductor convinced him to approve a match for his sister. 'My sister was going to college and she travelled to college by bus. She fell in love with a guy travelling on the same bus but studying in a different college. Should you even ask how it was 10-20 years back? A guy and a girl could never travel together. When she came home, we all spoke to her patiently. She did not admit it. One day, I closed my shop and without her knowing, I followed her. In a fit of anger, I slapped my sister. By then, the bus conductor came and asked, 'Who are you, pa? Why are you hitting the girl?' Then I told him what she had done. He said, 'You have learnt about this only yesterday. We have seen them for many days. We have been seeing them for 6-7 months. They have not committed any unpardonable sin. First, take them home, sit patiently and talk to the elders.' That day, if the conductor had not told me to take them home and discuss with elders, I would have fought with my sister and taken her away. I wanted to invite the conductor to my sister's wedding, but we could not,' he said. The e-book is available on Equimob's website and Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike's blog.
Indian Express
06-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Book on Bengaluru bus stories released to showcase public transport in positive light
This week, Bengaluru witnessed the launch of a book chronicling the city's love for one of its lifelines: the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus. Bengalurina Bussina Kathegalu (Bengaluru Bus Stories), a collection of stories of bus rides in the city, gathered by volunteers of NGO Samvada, was compiled into a book and launched on Monday. 'There is no single author for the book; it features contributions of various collaborators,' said Prajwal Nagesh, a postdoctoral researcher who worked on the compilation. The event was held in partnership with EquiMob, the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike, and Samvada. 'Instead of concentrating on the issues faced by BMTC buses, which people are already aware of, we aimed to highlight the positive aspects and show BMTC that many people appreciate using the buses and that they can significantly impact lives. This is the reason we created this book,' said Professor Dr Ajay Bailey, head of the department of human geography and spatial learning at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Funding for the project was received from Utrecht University, and Dr Bailey was the main collaborator. The event began with volunteer Mamatha Gamana narrating her bus experiences, which led others in the room to recount their own stories. This was followed by volunteers reading anecdotes, which they had collected through interviews. A volunteer shared a story about a bus passenger who loved the FM radio on the bus so much that if a song was playing and did not end before her stop, she would deliberately miss her stop to hear the entire song. 'People do not utilise public transportation, which leads to a lot of congestion in the city,' Alexander James, an environmentalist and retired lecturer from St Joseph's University, said. 'Instead of having 70 individuals on the road in their cars, it would be far more efficient for all of them to be on a bus. This would reduce road congestion and decrease pollution,' he explained.
New Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Book released on Bengaluru's affair with BMTC rides
BENGALURU: Bengalurina Bussina Kathegalu (Bengaluru's Bus Stories), which captures the memories associated with the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses, was released on Monday. A collaborative effort of the EQUIMOB (Inclusive Cities Through Equitable Access to Urban Mobility Infrastructures for India and Bangladesh) project, Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV) and Samvada, the book brings alive memories of double-decker buses, love for bus radio when there were no mobile phones, bus bonds and others. 'When we discuss about Bengaluru, the first thing that comes is the Information Technology, the city's infamous traffic, Silk Board Signal. But we hardly get to see anything related to BMTC buses, Bengaluru's lifeline,' said Prajwal, a PhD Scholar from ISEC and Utrecht University, who coordinated for the project from EQUIMOB. 'Like Kolkata or other cities, Bengaluru didn't have trains for local commute. All we had was the BMTC (then Bangalore Transport Service). BMTC buses, which played a pivotal role in Bengaluru's making, have largely remained neglected in its development story. Except for some scenes in a Kamal Hassan movie and in other Kannada movies, BMTC buses are hardly seen,' Prajwal said. Though every one of us has travelled in BMTC and has a lot of memories associated with it, it is not being recorded, he said, adding that the book has stories associated with the bus, he added. The organisers said the e-book will be uploaded on Equimob website soon, and hard copies will be distributed among the BBPV community organisations and various government departments.
