Bengaluru: In what can bring assistance to bored commuters with the price of a surge in prices and arbitrary cancellations with application-based taxis and autorickshaws, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is likely to cut the Vajra AC bus rate of 20-50%.
BMTC sources say regular tariffs and daily / monthly pass rates from the Volvo Vajra bus will drop.
However, there will be no change in ordinary bus rates and Vayu Vayu Vayal Services.
BMTC has 860 bus buses, including Vajras and Vajras Vaja, but only 190 of them are now operational because of reduced demand.
“We thought to further reduce Vajra rates (up to 50%) because most AC buses have been lying on depots for almost two years due to falling request after Covid-19.
We spend 14 lakh per month per depot (total six) on air conditioning bus maintenance .
The BMTC board will immediately make a final decision, “said an BMTC official.
“We hope more people will shift to the AC bus after reducing tariffs.
The plan is to increase the number of AC buses to 400 from 190 in March.
At present, the level of vajra bus occupancy is very lacking,” he added.
This will be the second rate revision of the Vajra bus in the past.
The corporation has reduced Vajra AC bus rates by 20% from January 1, 2021.
Vajra bus passengers, who mainly ran in the IT corridor, diminished since the pandemic hit.
Techies, regular on this bus, most work from long distances now.
In pre-pandemic, BMTC is used to provide 300 bus buses for charter services, especially Tech Parks in Outer Ring Road and ITPL.