Bengaluru gears up for Sept 11 bandh & traffic measures | Azad Times

Bengaluru: In response to the Private Motorists’ Union’s call for a city-wide bandh on September 11 in Bengaluru, preparations are underway to ensure minimal traffic disruptions for commuters. To proactively address this, an additional 500 buses from the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will be deployed to provide much-needed relief to passengers.

The additional buses will run in Bengaluru from 5 am to 10 pm on Monday. This service expansion will mainly concentrate on essential locations including the Airport, Sarjapur, Attibele, Mysore Road, Electronic City, Yelahanka, Whitefield, and Outer Ring Road. BMTC has also indicated that they will adapt the number of buses deployed based on passenger demand.

The expanded bus routes will provide connectivity from prominent bus terminals like Kempegowda Bus Stand, KR Market, and Shivajinagar Bus Stands to various destinations, including Kadugodi, Sarjapura, Attibele, Anekal, Bannerghatta/Jigani, Harohalli, Bidadi, Tavarekere, Nelamangala, Hersanghatta, Doddaballapur, Devanahalli, Bagalur, Channasandra, and Hoskote, in addition to the Outer Ring and Inner Ring Roads. Moreover, approximately 4,000 extra trips have been scheduled to serve key locations within the city.

To prevent passenger inconvenience during the bandh, BMTC staff and Chariot Patrol forces will maintain vigilant oversight of bus traffic at key city roads, bus terminals, and intersections. Extra buses will be dispatched on routes experiencing heavy passenger demand. Private vehicle usage will be restricted from midnight on Sunday to midnight on Monday, in accordance with the Private Motorists’ Union’s decision. The union has also called upon the public to spread awareness about the bandh and extend their support.

Over 700,000 vehicles, belonging to 32 organizations, are anticipated to cease operations during the bandh. Airport taxi services will be entirely halted, and ride-sharing platforms like Ola and Uber, as well as auto-rickshaws and conventional taxis, will not be available. Buses under corporate agreements have also committed to supporting the bandh and will suspend their services.

The bandh is expected to disrupt school transportation services for those dependent on private vehicles, as well as potentially impacting goods transportation. The shutdown will affect a significant number of vehicles, including over 300,000 auto-rickshaws, 150,000 taxis, 20,000 goods vehicles, more than 5,000 private school vehicles, 80,000 city taxis, and corporate company buses, amounting to a total of more than 500,000 vehicles.

The hotel owners’ association has been urged to back the bandh, and there is a chance that hotels will join the protest. Furthermore, trade associations, pro-Kannada groups, and street vendors have received appeals to express their solidarity.

Protesters are preparing for a significant citywide march, which will culminate in a demonstration of unity at Freedom Park. In preparation for this event, BMTC has taken proactive measures to deploy extra buses, aiming to reduce any potential disruptions for the public.