Dear BMTC,

On the 19th of Jan, around 7:10 am, I stopped at the Maharaja Signal, Koramangala. Someone from behind began honking non-stop, even though there was a red signal. I looked back to find a BMTC bus (KA 01 FA 2074) driver asking me to make way for him. I pointed at the red signal, he shrugged with a grin and moved forward almost touching my bike. Was he just threatening me to make way or he’ll run over me? You can make your inference.

On discussing this with a friend of mine, more such incidents came to light. Most BMTC buses sport reckless drivers and rule breakers. In most places, to enable better traffic sense, BMTC buses are provided with a separate lane at the bus stops and how many buses do we find on that lane: ZERO! At a distance of 20m from bus stop the suddenly the drivers turn left to stop at bus stops. Why can’t they stay on the left ahead of time when they are already aware of all the designated bus stops? Not just the drivers, there are instances where conductors refuse to even give you tickets. It may be a matter of an amount as less as 2 rupees but it is completely unacceptable and goes against law, also a loss to BMTC. A friend of mine once had to fight with a conductor for ticket and he issued one only on being warned that she’d complain against him. Is BTMC above law? I wonder who should be blamed: The BMTC employees or the BMTC itself for not instilling strict rules on them. Will BMTC take responsibility for the traffic nuisance or the law-breaking? 

There are several instances which nobody is sure if they are being addressed. Take a look: http://www.consumercomplaints.in/complaints/bmtc-c341399.html .

Most of us are aware of the toll-free number (1-800-425-1663) & Email ID(complaints@mybmtc.com) for BMTC complaints but what action is BMTC taking against these lodged complaints is unspoken of. I strongly stand to believe that if strict actions are not taken and hence the drivers and conductors do not care much about the complaints.

I, on behalf of all the Bangalore citizens, would like to know what action BMTC takes against such rule-breakers. Taking action on such drivers/conductors will definitely help us make Bangalore a safe place to drive/ride/cycle. I hereby make this petition in public interest of road safety & law-abiding ticketing system, to instigate strict rules on BMTC bus drivers and conductors.

Disclaimer: This image does not belong to me. Image Source: https://csrb.wordpress.com/2010/07/29/price-hike-in-bmtc-bus-tickets-and-passes-hits-common-man/

Regards,

Virander Sirohi