E-bookings for buses from Bengaluru to Kempegowda International Airport still low

Of the 63 bookings made online last month, 47 tickets were booked on buses running from different parts of the city to Kempegowda International Airport.
BMTC bus (File photo| EPS)
BMTC bus (File photo| EPS)

BENGALURU: Though it has been more than a month since Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) started online booking to boost occupancy on Vayu Vajra buses, there are few takers for the previously popular and profitable service.

Last month, only 63 bookings were made online. "Of these, 47 tickets were booked on buses running from different parts of the city to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), while 16 were booked in the reverse direction. This month (up to January 18), we have only 43 such bookings," a senior BMTC official said. However, he pointed out that it was part of an overall trend of passengers declining.

"Currently, we carry around 5,000 passengers. It used to be nearly 12,000 before the pandemic. The number of buses plying now are just 61, compared to 120 before March," he said. Meanwhile, two routes -- Kempegowda bus station to KIA and Electronics City to KIA -- continue to remain the most popular. 

"The decline in ridership is an offshoot of the decline in air passengers because of the pandemic," he added. BMTC is charging Rs 10 for booking tickets online.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com