Bangalore: 6 years on, citizens enjoy the Volvo experience

Gone are the days when bus travelling within the city or to nearby cities was a harrowing experience. Ten years ago, getting a bus seat was an uphill task and most of the times a battle had to be fought at the bus stand with people clambering through windows, doors and over each other to get a seat. A dedicated drive by the state transport department over the past 10 years has ushered in a sea of change to the scenario. With Karnataka set to add 3,350 buses to its fleet this year, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is all geared up to incorporate 850 new buses into its daily operations.

Not surprisingly, 150 of these will be luxury buses, according to officials. Transport Minister R Ashok has repeatedly gone on record stating that the BMTC’s Volvo service, which was shunned by people between 2006 and 2010 has finally been accepted by the city in the past two years. “It is now supporting other services,” he said at a recent function in the city. According to BMTC officials, the Volvo bus services are making a profit of Rs 16 crore a year.

The BMTC currently runs Vaayu Vajra, Vajra and Big 10 services using Volvo buses and other services like Suvarna and Pushpak, are reportedly making losses. This massive drive to adopt larger, more luxurious buses has not been limited to the city alone. Today, it is possible for a traveller to go to nearby towns like Mysore, Tirupati and Chennai with as much comfort as that provided on a plane at just a fraction of the cost.