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Time of India

Bengaluru corporation's ORR Express doesn't stick to promised time, but cuts short journey by 15-20 minutes

Bengaluru: With the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) rolling out a limited-stop AC Express bus service between Central Silk Board and Hebbal, commuters travelling daily along the Outer Ring Road (ORR) are a relieved lot now. The service is beneficial mainly for tech park commuters and office-goers who endure peak-hour snarls on this 30-km stretch. A ground check by TOI has revealed that while the service may not strictly adhere to its 1.25-hour schedule, it still shaves off 15-20 minutes of travel time compared to regular services on the same route. Ordinary BMTC services, which have stoppages at 37 points along the same corridor, often take more than two hours to complete the journey during peak hours. The bus, route number Ex-V500D, has only 10 stops: Silk Board, Sarjapur Road Junction, Eco Space, Kadubeesanahalli, Marathahalli Bridge, EMC2, KR Pura Metro Station, Tin Factory, Manyata Tech Park, and Hebbal. On Friday morning, the 9am service from Silk Board (bus KA 57 F 0928) saw all seats occupied. Tickets were priced at Rs 70 for a full journey. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru However, many passengers appeared unaware that it was an express service. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo Some attempted to board for destinations not listed as stops, including Mahadevapura. A passenger asking for a ticket to Mahadevapura was told by the conductor to alight at EMC2 instead, leaving him confused. Despite the express tag, the bus was not immune to ORR traffic. It took 29 minutes to reach Sarjapur Road Junction and another 11 minutes to Eco Space. Kadubeesanahalli was reached at 9.45am, followed by Marathahalli Bridge (9.50 am) and EMC2 (9.56 am). KR Pura Metro was reached in exactly one hour. A quick three-minute hop brought the bus to Tin Factory, after which there were no scheduled stops until Manyata Tech Park, where the bus arrived at 10.21am. Though not part of the official route, the driver allowed a passenger to disembark at Hennur Junction. Another group was dropped mid-flyover near Manyata, which is one of the stops passengers routinely use. The bus finally reached Hebbal at 10.38am — 15 minutes behind schedule. Yet, most commuters found the service valuable. "I don't mind paying Rs 10 extra," said Anupama, a regular commuter. "It's faster, and skipping stops after Tin Factory makes a big difference." BMTC officials said the delays are within acceptable limits and are outweighed by time savings. GT Prabhakara Reddy, chief traffic manager (operations), said the route was planned based on internal studies and stop demand. "The Hebbal-Tin Factory stretch has just one stop — Manyata Tech Park — which helps maintain speed. We'll continue to monitor performance and revise if needed." The service primarily caters to tech park employees, with most stops mapped to major employment hubs along the ORR. While minor adjustments may be needed, the express service offers a faster, more predictable alternative for Bengaluru's road-weary workforce. BOX Route – Ex V 500D Hebbal to Silk Board Route length – 30.6 km Travel time scheduled – 1.25 hours Number of schedules – 10 Trips – 68 Frequency – 20 Stops and timing Central Silk Board - 9 am Sarjapur Road Junction - 9.29 Eco Space - 9.40 Kadubeesanahalli - 9.45 Marathahalli Bridge - 9.50 EMC2 - 9.56 KR Pura Metro station - 10 Tin Factory - 10.02 Manyata Tech Park - 10.21 Hebbal - 10.38 Bus stops for other services Hebbal Kempapura Veeranna Palya Manyata Tech Park Nagawara Junction HBR Layout Third Block HRBR Layout Hennur Cross Kalyanagar 80 Feet Road Kalyan Nagar Babusapalya Horamavu Petrol Bunk Vijaya Bank Colony B Channasandra Kasthuri Nagar Tin Factory KR Pura railway station B Narayanapura Mahadevapura EMC2 Doddanekkundi Karthik Nagar Marathahalli Bridge Multiplex Marathahalli Kadubisanahalli New Horizon College Devarabisanahalli Eco Space Bellandur City Petrol Bunk Bellandur Junction of Sarjapur Road Iblur Agara Junction Depot 25 Gate 14th Main HSR Layout SL Apartment HSR Central Silk Board