Bengaluru: BMTC bus passes valid till July 8

Bengaluru: BMTC will extend the validity of ordinary monthly passes of April 2021 till July 8.

The transport employees had gone for an indefinite strike from April 7 to 21 and the government had imposed lockdown in the state on April 27 due to surging cases of Covid-19. Many pass holders were demanding an extension of the pass validity to compensate for the loss of days due to the non-availability of the bus services. According to BMTC officials, a QR code-based digital ticketing will be provided in all buses. From Monday, BMTC will operate 2,000 buses on major routes. It will also run 17 Vayu Vajra airport services (117 trips) between Kempegowda International Airport to Kempegowda Bus Station (Majestic) and Electronics City. A BMTC release stated, “Bus services will be operated between 6 am and 7 pm. Frequency of services will be extended based on passenger volume.”

Officials also mentioned that vaccination is a must for all staff. The crew as well as the passengers must wear masks. Only 50% of passengers are allowed on the buses. The release added, “Passengers will be allowed to board the bus only if seats are available. Buses should be stooped at designated stops for boarding and deboarding.”

The release said, “Passengers without face masks are not allowed. They should maintain social distance while boarding/alighting the buses and follow the queue system. If permitted seats are occupied, passengers should not board the bus. Passengers suffering from fever and other ailments should refrain from travelling.”