Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation
Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation
Beṅgaḷūru Mahānagara Sārige Sansthe
Formerly
ParentKarnataka State Road Transport Corporation
Founded
  • August 15, 1997 (1997-08-15)
    as Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation[1][2]
  • November 1, 2014 (2014-11-01)
    as Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation
Commenced operationAugust 15, 1997 (1997-08-15)
HeadquartersBMTC Central Office, Sarige Sadana, Kengal Hanumanthaiah Road, Shantinagara, Bangalore, Bangalore Urban district, Karnataka, India
Locale
Service areaBangalore Metropolitan Region (40 km radius from Central Bangalore) and one Vajra service to the town of Chikkaballapur.
Service type
  • Bengaluru Sarige
  • Astra
  • Vajra
  • Vayu Vajra
  • Bengaluru Darshini
AllianceKarnataka's Road Transport Undertakings
Routes5563
Hubs
StationsMinor Bus Stations

Travel and Transit Management Centers (TTMCs)

LoungeA/C lounge available in major bus stations and TTMCs
Depots49 Depots
Fleet6798 buses.[3]
Daily ridership4,910,000 (27 November 2017)
Fuel type
  • 100% Diesel
  • 15% Methanol blended Diesel
  • 100% Electric
OperatorGovernment of Karnataka
Chief executive
  • Smt. G. Sathyavathi, IAS
    Managing Director
  • Dr. P. C. Jaffer, IAS
    Secretary (Expenditure), Department of Finance
  • Dr. N. V. Prasad, IAS
    Secretary to Government, Department of Transport
  • Smt. Radhika. G, IPS
    Director, Security & Vigilance
  • Sri. A. V. Surya Sen, IFS
    Director, Information Technology
  • Sri. Paresh Kumar Goel, ISDE
    Director (Transport), Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Central Govt. Representative
  • Sri. Prakash. T. P
    Director (Non-Official)
  • Sri. Sridhar Kallur
    Director (Non-Official)
  • Sri. K. P. Brungeesh
    Director (Non-Official)
Chairperson & Vice-Chairperson
  • Sri. N. S. Nandeesha Reddy, Former MLA
    Chairperson
  • Sri. K. V. Naveen Kiran
    Vice-Chairperson
Website

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, officially Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), is a state-owned public road transport corporation in the Indian city of Bangalore. It is wholly owned by the Government of Karnataka. It serves the Bangalore Metropolitan Region. As of August 2022, it has a fleet of 6798 buses.[3]

A new app named "Namma BMTC" has been launched to assist commuters to track buses live, check schedules, plan their journey and calculate fare between stages.[4] A special feature of this app is the SOS feature that can help women in case of emergencies by alerting any near-by police station.[4]

History

Foundation

Mysore Government Road Transport Department was inaugurated on 12 September 1948 with 120 buses.[1] The transport department of The Mysore state administered it until 1961.

Corporatization

It was subsequently converted into an independent corporation under Section 3 of the Road Transport Corporation Act, 1950 on 1 August 1961, In 1961, after successfully converting into an independent corporation all assets and liabilities of MGRTD were transferred to Mysore State Road Transport Corporation.[1]

Merger

On 1 October 1961, Bangalore Transport Service was merged with it.[1]

Renaming

On 1 November 1973, the Mysore state was renamed as Karnataka thus, renaming it Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation.

Bifurcation

This left the corporation to serve the Southern part of Karnataka.

  • On 23 November 2009, Vijayapura division was transferred from NWKRTC to KKRTC.
  • On 1 November 2014, It changed to the present name Bangalore Metropolitain Transport Corporation along with other organizations in the city.[8]

Services

Name of the Service Description Manufacturer Gallery
Astra It is a non-AC electric bus service with a turquoise livery for JBM brand buses, violet-white for Ashok Leyland's Switch brand buses and light blue-dark blue for Tata Motor's Starbus EV brand buses..
Bengaluru Sarige It is a non-AC bus service built on Ashok Leyland, Tata and Eicher urban chassis with a dark blue-white livery for Bharat Stage IV (BS IV) and light blue-white livery or turquoise-white livery for Bharat Stage VI (BS VI) connecting all parts of the Metropolitan region.
Bengaluru Darshini (Bengaluru Rounds) It is an AC bus service built on Volvo 8400LE urban chassis with a special livery of pencil sketch depiction of important sites in Bangalore on a white background. This service was introduced for sightseeing in Bangalore. It covered routes connecting about twenty landmarks of great historical, religious and scientific significance. BMTC's Bengaluru Darshini
Metro Feeder These are AC and Non-AC services that act as feeders to major metro stations and provide last mile connectivity. They are usually prefixed with 'MF'.[9]
Vajra It is an AC bus service built on Volvo 8400LE urban chassis, Corona and UD SLF with a light blue livery running on important routes serving the tech parks, industrial areas, major bus stations and major residential areas.
Vayu Vajra It is an AC bus service built on Volvo 8400LE urban chassis with a light blue livery connecting 20 routes in the Metropolitan region to Bangalore's Kempegowda International Airport. Free Wi-Fi access is provided to the commuters on these buses.[10] BMTC's Vayu Vajra

Vayu Vajra routes

[11]
Serial Number Route Number Service Start Place in the city Via Journey Time
1 KIA 4 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
  • Hebbala
  • Mekheri Circle
  • Jayachamarajendra Nagara
  • Halasuru Lake
  • Indiranagara KFC
 1 hour 50 minutes
2 KIA 4A Whitefield ITPL TTMC
  • Hebbala
  • Mekheri Circle
  • Jayachamarajendra Nagara
  • Halasuru Lake
  • Indiranagara KFC
 2 hours
3 KIA 5 Banashankari
  • Hebbala
  • Mekheri Circle
  • RM Guttahalli
  • Mahatma Gandhi Road
  • Shantinagara TTMC
  • Jayanagara 4th Block
  • Jayaprakash Nagara 6th Phase
 1 hour 50 minutes
4 KIA 5D Brigade Meadows, Kanakapura Road
  • Hebbala
  • Mekheri Circle
  • RM Guttahalli
  • Mahatma Gandhi Road
  • Atal Bihari Vajpayee TTMC (Shantinagara TTMC)
  • Jayanagara 4th Block
 2 hours 20 minutes
5 KIA 6 Kadugodi Bus Station
  • Hebbala
  • Mahatma Gandhi Road
  • Marathahalli
  • Whitefield
  • Hope Farm
 2 hours
6 KIA 6A Kadugodi Bus Station
  • Hebbala
  • Tin Factory Junction
  • Krishnarajapura
  • Garudacharapalya
  • Hoodi Circle
  • ITPL
  • Hope Farm
 2 hours
7 KIA 7 HSR KEB Junction
  • Mekhri Circle
  • Guttahalli
  • Indian Express
  • Atal Bihari Vajpayee TTMC (Shantinagara TTMC)
  • Checkpost
  • Koramangala Water Tank
  • Jakkasandra
 1 hour 50 minutes
8 KIA 7A HSR BDA Complex
  • Hebbala
  • Mekheri Circle
  • RM Guttahalli
  • Shivajinagara Bus Station
  • Mahatma Gandhi Road
  • Jakkasandra
 1 hour 50 minutes
9 KIA 8 Electronic City
  • Hebbala
  • Tin Factory Junction
  • Marathahalli Bridge
  • Central Silk Board
 2 hours
10 KIA 8A Kuvempunagara
  • Hebbala
  • Tin Factory Junction
  • Marathahalli Bridge
  • Central Silk Board
 2 hours
11 KIA 8C Chandapura
  • Hebbala
  • Tin Factory Junction
  • Marathahalli Bridge
  • Central Silk Board
 3 hours
12 KIA 8E Electronic City Wipro Back Gate
  • Bagaluru
  • Byrathi Bande
  • Tin Factory Junction
  • Marathahalli Bridge
  • Central Silk Board
 2 hours 10 minutes
13 KIA 8D Sarjapura Wipro Campus
  • Hebbala
  • Tin Factory Junction
  • Marathahalli Bridge
 3 hours
14 KIA 9 Kempegowda Bus Station
  • Hebbala
  • Mekheri Circle
  • Shivananda Circle
 1 hour
15 KIA 9H Hebbala
  • Hunusamaranahalli
  • Kogilu Cross
  • Esteem Mall
 1 hour
16 KIA 10 Mysuru Road Bus Station
  • Hebbala
  • Yeshavanthapura
  • West of Chord Road
  • Vijayanagara
 1 hour 45 minutes
17 KIA 14 Royal Meenakshi Mall
  • Hebbala
  • Mekheri Circle
  • Atal Bihari Vajpayee TTMC (Shantinagara TTMC)
  • Bilekahalli
 1 hour 50 minutes
18 KIA 15 Whitefield ITPL TTMC Back Gate
  • Beguru
  • Singahalli Cross
  • Yelahanka
  • Budigere
  • Khaji Sonnenahalli
  • Kadugodi
  • Hope Farm
  • ITPL
 1 hour 45 minutes
19 KIA 15A Whitefield ITPL TTMC Back Gate
  • Beguru
  • Singahalli Cross
  • Yelahanka
  • Budigere
  • Khaji Sonnenahalli
  • Kadugodi
  • Varthuru Kodi
  • Kundalahalli
  • Graphite India
 2 hours
20 KIA 17 BEML Layout 5th Stage
  • Hebbala
  • Goraguntepalya
  • Summanahalli
  • Nayandanahalli
  • Rajarajeshwarinagara
 2 hours
21 KIA 18 Madhavara NICE Road (BIEC)
  • Kogilu Cross
  • Yelahanka Upanagara
  • Atturu Layout
  • M.S Palya
  • Gangamma Circle
  • Jalahalli Cross
  • Nagasandra Metro Station
 2 hours

Former services

  • Parisara Vahini/Parisara Snehi: It is a non-AC bus service with a light blue-white, dark blue, blue-white or grey colour livery over time. Merged with Bengaluru Sarige.
  • Janti Vahana: It is a non-AC vestibule bus service with a light blue-white or blue-white colour livery over time. Currently defunct.
  • Suvarna: It is a non-AC bus service with a green or red livery, similar fare to Jana Sarige buses served important feeder routes. Merged with Bengaluru Sarige.
  • Samartha/BIG Trunk: It is a non-AC bus service with a green livery used to serve trunk routes from downtown to the suburbs. Merged with Bengaluru Sarige.
  • Nera Sarige/BIG 10: It is a non-AC bus service with a special green and bottle green livery plied on 12 major corridors towards the central business district. These buses are numbered with a G prefix. Merged with Bengaluru Sarige.
  • Samvrutha/BIG Circle: It is a non-AC bus service with a special white BIG Circle livery. These buses use to ply on Bangalore Inner Ring Road and Bangalore Outer Ring Road. Buses are numbered with a C prefix or a K prefix. Merged with Bengaluru Sarige.
  • Atal Sarige: It is a non-AC Low fare bus service with an Indian tri-colour livery. Currently defunct[12][13]
  • Pushpak Sarige/Janapriya Vahini: non-AC buses with a beige-white livery used to ply only with a driver who also issues ticket and has only one entrance and exit. Currently defunct.
  • Marcopolo AC, UD AC and Corona AC: It is an AC low fare bus service with a white or light blue livery plied on select routes. Currently defunct.
  • Nimbus: It is a non-AC bus service with a green livery for BSIV, light blue-white livery for BSVI and AC buses with a light blue livery. These buses ply on special bus rapid transit lanes. The only service between Central Silk Board Junction and Krishnarajapura was temporarily withdrawn and converted to Bengaluru Sarige service as the bus lane had to be closed down due to a decrease in width of Bangalore Outer Ring Road for the construction of Namma Metro blue line.
  • Samparka: It is a mini non-AC bus service built on Ashok Leyland and Tata mini urban chassis with an orange livery connecting neighbourhoods to the nearby bus station. Usually covering shorter distances. Merged with Bengaluru Sarige.

Note: The Parisara Vahini/Parisara Snehi, Suvarna Sarige, Samartha Sarige/BIG Trunk, Nera Sarige/BIG 10, Samvrutha Sarige/BIG Circle, Metro Feeder, Nimbus and Samparka still retain the same numbering and function despite the change in branding.

List of depots

Sl. No. Depot Number Depot Name Division District Ref
1 2 Shanthinagara South Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
2 3 Shanthinagara South Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
3 4 Jayanagara South Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
4 6 Indiranagara East Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
5 7 Subashnagara Central Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
6 8 Yeshwanthapura North Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
7 9 Peenya North Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
8 10 Hennuru North-East Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
9 11 Yelahanka North Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
10 12 Kengeri West Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
11 13 Katriguppe Central Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
12 14 Rabindranath Tagore Nagara North-East Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
13 15 Koramangala East Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
14 16 Deepanjali Nagara West Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
15 17 Chandra Layout West Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
16 18 ITPL Central Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
17 19 Electronic City East Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
18 20 Banashankari South Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
19 21 Rajarajeshwarinagara West Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
20 22 Peenya North Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
21 23 Kalyannagara North-East Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
22 24 Krishnarajapura North-East Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
23 25 H. S. R. Layout Central Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
24 26 Yeshwanthapura North Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
25 27 Jigani East Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
26 28 Hebbala Central Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
27 29 Krishnarajapura Central Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
28 30 Yelahanka North Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
29 31 Sumanahalli West Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
30 32 Surya City East Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
31 33 Poornapragna Layout South Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
32 34 Kothanuru Dinne South Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
33 35 Kannahalli West Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
34 36 Bidadi West Ramanagara [14][15][16][17]
35 37 Kengeri West Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
36 38 Chikkanagamangala East Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
37 39 Hosakote North-East Bangalore Rural [14][15][16][17]
38 40 Nelamangala North Bangalore Rural [14][15][16][17]
39 41 Gunjura East Bangalore Rural [14][15][16][17]
40 42 Kodathi East Bangalore Rural [14][15][16][17]
41 43 Shivanapura North Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
42 44 Anjanapura South Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
43 45 M. S. Palya North Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
44 46 Sadenahalli North Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
45 47 Manduru North-East Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
46 48 Byrathi North-East Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
47 49 Bidadi West Ramanagara [14][15][16][17]
48 50 Devanahalli North-East Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]
49 51 Sadaramangala North-East Bangalore Urban [14][15][16][17]

National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)

BMTC unveiled a smart card for its bus services for the first time in June 2016. The company introduced smart cards on trial-basis on BMTC Bus No. 335 operating between Majestic and Kadugodi bus stations in March 2017.[18] Apart from serving as an identification document, the smart cards can be used to purchase bus tickets and also swiped at point-of-sale (POS) enabled merchant establishments. The card costs ₹5 (6.3¢ US) and can be recharged for up to ₹10,000 (US$130). Recharges higher than ₹10,000 require the customer to provide identification. According to Axis Bank, the BMTC's partner in the project, the smart card is India's "first open loop EMV contactless smart card". The cards "open-loop" structure allows other agencies to integrate their smart card schemes by adopting the standards of the BMTC smart card.[19] This scheme was finally dropped and integration with National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) is already under process. City's Namma Metro is already using NCMC and Bengaluru Suburban Railway will also be using it in future when the system is completed so therefore, one will be used to travel seamlessly across different transit modes in the city and its suburbs.[20][21]

'Shakti Scheme' free bus service for women

'Shakti Scheme' was announced by the Second Siddaramaiah ministry on 2 June 2023. It started on 11 June 2023, providing free-of-charge bus service to Karnataka domicile women. Beneficiaries show their government-issued photo identity and address proof for the first three months. Bus conductors issue them zero-fare tickets Thereafter, beneficiaries obtain Shakti smartcards (named after the name of the scheme) through an application process on the government's Seva Sindhu website.[22]

Bus Day

Introduced on 4 February 2010, Bus Day is an event calling all the citizens of Bangalore to use public transport. The idea behind Bus Day is to observe the changes which can be brought in the city in trying to respect environment, traffic situation, health of individuals perception.[23] The 4th of every month is observed as a "Bus Day".[24]

Bus priority lane

BMTC along with BTP initiated the bus lanes between Central Silk Board Junction and Tin Factory Junction on Outer Ring Road branded as Nimbus. Bus lanes give priority to buses, cutting down on journey times where roads are congested with other traffic especially private cars and increasing the reliability of buses. The introduction of bus lanes can significantly assist in the reduction of air pollution due to individual cars and traffic pile up because of cars.[25] Currently, the bus lane has been removed due to reduction in road width due to the ongoing work on Namma Metro's Blue Line on the median.

Intelligent Transport System

To benefit the commuters and promote the usage of public transportation, the BMTC launched its Intelligent Transport System (ITS) on 25 May 2016.[26] Under this project, BMTC buses were equipped with GPS in a phased manner which would transmit the location of the bus to the ITS control room. On 20 May 2023, A mobile app called Namma BMTC was launched on the android and iOS platform which was made available in two languages, English and Kannada. The app provides information about bus routes and bus stops. Real time location of buses on a particular route can also be tracked, which requires the users to switch on the GPS on their device.[27] In 2017, BMTC would be introduced prepaid smart cards for commuting, which eliminated the need to pay the exact amount of change, this was not introduced widely, instead NCMC cards are proposed to be released as an open loop payment system.[28][29] On 6 April 2022, Bus Passes started to be issued on TUMMOC mobile app, passengers have to scan the QR code in the bus to verify the pass bought on the app.[30] In 2022, BMTC has also started to accept ticket payments using UPI in a ON and OFF manner, finally launching it properly in June 2023. A QR code card is either stuck in the bus or with the bus conductor, passengers can scan and pay for tickets.

Karnataka's Road Transport Undertakings

  • KSRTC, Bangalore: Operates out of Southern Karnataka.
  • NWKRTC, Hubli: Operates out of North-Western Karnataka except Bijapur district.
  • KKRTC, Kalaburagi: Operates out of North-Eastern Karnataka and Bijapur district.
  • BMTC, Bangalore: Operates in Bangalore Metropolitan Region offering transit service.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "KSRTC Official Website for Online Bus Ticket Booking - KSRTC.in".
  2. ↑ BMTC History, 14 May 2019
  3. 1 2 "BMTC at a glance". Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  4. 1 2 Gour, Deeksha (26 September 2023). "Good News for Bengalureans: New Namma BMTC App To Offer Real-Time Bus Tracking and More". Times Now. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  5. ↑ "KSRTC History". The Times of India. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  6. ↑ "Ksrtc history". www.ksrtc.in. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  7. ↑ "About Us - Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation". kkrtc.karnataka.gov.in. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  8. ↑ Reporter, B. S. (1 November 2014). "Bangalore is now Bengaluru". Business Standard India. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  9. ↑ "Non AC/Ordinary Services Fares". mybmtc.karnataka.gov.in. 1 May 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  10. ↑ BMTC to run Mercedes Benz buses on trial basis
  11. ↑ "Vayu Vajra Schedules Departure Timings". My BMTC.
  12. ↑ "CM flags off Atal Sarige for the poor". Express Buzz. 31 May 2009. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
  13. ↑ "'Atal Sarige' launched in Bangalore". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 31 May 2009. p. 1. Archived from the original on 1 July 2009. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 "BMTC Depot Landline Nos".
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 "BMTC Officers List Landline Nos KN".
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 "BMTC Officers List Landline Nos EN".
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 "Bengaluru BMTC Depots Map with contact numbers | | OpenCity.in". Open City. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  18. ↑ "Get smart @ Rs 5". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  19. ↑ Staff Reporter (5 February 2017). "BMTC smart card by February 15". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  20. ↑ "Bengaluru rolls out National Common Mobility Card". Moneycontrol. 25 March 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  21. ↑ "BMTC commuters' wait for Mobility cards continues – The Softcopy". 28 March 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  22. ↑ "Guidelines released for free travel bus scheme for women in Karnataka". Deccan Herald. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  23. ↑ "February 4th is 'Bus Day' in Bangalore". Bangalore Aviation. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  24. ↑ "Bangalore Bus Day- Feb 4th: Citizen Matters". Bangalore.citizenmatters.in. 4 February 2010. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  25. ↑ Kumar, Pranav (20 October 2019). "Bus Priority Lane Operational in Bangalore". The Hindu.
  26. ↑ "BMTC launches Intelligent Transport Solution". The Hindu. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  27. ↑ "BMTC app gets soft launch". Bangalore Mirror. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  28. ↑ "Has common mobility missed the bus?". Bangalore Mirror. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  29. ↑ "BMTC to roll out smart cards in January". The Hindu. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  30. ↑ "Bengaluru: Buy BMTC bus pass on mobile app, show your phone to travel". The Times of India. 6 April 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
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