Bustling through Bengaluru: asserting the need for sustainable public transport
In recent years, Bengaluru has witnessed a massive surge of investment going towards private transport infrastructure. This has only worsened the traffic congestion crisis in the city while adding to the already high levels of Greenhouse gas emissions. Rapid urbanisation within Bengaluru without adequately improving the city’s bus transport system has resulted in a decline in bus ridership as well as the operational efficiency of the city’s public transport system. A systematic shift is needed to achieve affordable, safe, inclusive, comfortable and reliable bus-based public transport. This report talks about the results of the survey aimed at capturing the everyday travel experiences of bus users and the challenges they face during their journey. The study, conducted between January and February 2022, incorporates a total of 558 bus users’ interviews conducted by Greenpeace volunteers at five major bus stops in Bengaluru. The study highlights how buses remain the predominant mode of travel, with 88 percent of existing bus users preferring buses over other modes of transport due to convenience and cost-effectiveness. The report further captures the impacts of COVID-19 on bus users in the city, highlighting that two-thirds of all respondents found an increase in travel time or waiting time since the COVID-19 outbreak. The post-COVID-19 period has also seen an increase in cost of travel, and this is a major concern, especially for women (18 percent of women as opposed to 10 percent of men).
