Latest news with #RamalingaReddy
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Express bus services extended to five new routes in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: After the successful launch of its express bus services on NICE Road connecting Madavara and Electronics City, BMTC Friday extended the operations to five more routes. The newly introduced express services will now operate on the following routes: Majestic–Attibele, Banashankari TTMC–Attibele, Majestic–Devanahalli, Banashankari TTMC–Devanahalli and Majestic–Nelamangala. BMTC has also rolled out a monthly pass priced at Rs 1,400. This allows unlimited travel on all ordinary services, including those on NICE Road. While it does not fully cover premium services, pass holders can still access Vajra express buses by paying applicable toll charges separately. Further, BMTC has introduced a new weekend package tour. The Ghati–Isha Foundation tour will operate with air-conditioned buses. The all-inclusive fare is fixed at Rs 600 per passenger. The tour begins at 9am and concludes with a return to Bengaluru by 7pm. ——- Photo caption Transport minister Ramalinga Reddy flagging off BMTC's new express services in Bengaluru on Friday
The Hindu
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
BMTC launches express services in Bengaluru, new temple tour packages
The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) launched new express services and a new temple tour route under the 'Ghati Isha Foundation' package. BMTC also disbursed ₹1.5 crore in group insurance compensation to families of deceased employees. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy announced new limited stop express services starting June 21 to five high-demand destinations — Attibele, Devanahalli, Harohalli, and Nelamangala from key locations such as Kempegowda Bus Stand and Banashankari TTMC. 'These services will operate with a total of 48 schedules and 348 daily trips, running at intervals of 20 to 30 minutes. To encourage regular commuters, BMTC has introduced an 'Express Ordinary Services Monthly Pass' priced at ₹1,500 (excluding toll), now available digitally via the Tummoc app,' Mr. Reddy said. Spiritual tourism package BMTC has expanded its spiritual tourism offerings with the launch of a new weekend and holiday-only package tour titled 'Ghati Isha Foundation'. This AC bus tour starts from Kempegowda Bus Station at 9 a.m. and includes visits to Nelamangala Anjaneya Swamy temple, Ghati Subrahmanya temple, Jnana Teertha Linga, and the Isha Foundation, with lunch arranged en route. The day-long tour concludes at 7 p.m. and is priced at ₹600 per person. Additionally, two more premium package services — Isha Foundation-1A and 1B — will commence from Banashankari TTMC and Central Silk Board, respectively. 'These tours include visits to Bhoga Nandeeshwara temple, Kanive Basavanna temple, Sir M. Visvesvaraya's museum and samadhi, Rangasthala Ranganatha temple, and Isha Foundation, with fares ranging from ₹700 to ₹750,' Mr. Reddy said. ₹1.5 crore in group insurance BMTC distributed ₹1.5 crore in group insurance payouts to the families of employees who died in accidents. This follows the launch of the Group Insurance Scheme on February 19, 2024, which provides ₹50 lakh for accidental death, and ₹10 lakh for other causes. 'So far, ₹8.2 crore has been disbursed to 82 families of those who died of natural causes, and ₹3.5 crore to seven accident victims' families. The total payout under the scheme stands at ₹11.7 crore,' Mr. Reddy explained. BMTC operates over 62,000 trips daily across Bengaluru with a fleet of 6,897 buses, including 1,425 electric vehicles.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Automotive
- New Indian Express
40 new enforcement vehicles to check transport violations in Karnataka
BENGALURU: There are 3.37 crore vehicles registered in Karnataka, till May-end. To monitor the increasing number of vehicles, to carry out regular inspections, promote road safety, and prevent accidents, 40 enforcement vehicles have been procured for the transport department, said Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy. Addressing the media after flagging off the new vehicles here on Wednesday, Reddy said these enforcement vehicles will go on rounds, inspect vehicles on the road and slap fines for safety violations. He said that from 2023 till date, 123 motor vehicle inspectors have been recruited by the transport department, and that with the new vehicles, they will intensify enforcement. 'During the vehicle inspections, these inspectors will be checking multiple factors, including vehicle condition, functioning tail lamp, retro reflective tapes and rear marking plate. Fines will be slapped on vehicle owners based on the violations,' the minister said, adding that the transport department carries out road safety awareness programmes regularly, educating the masses about safe road use and preventing accidents. Officials said that a total of 4,01,595 cases were registered during 2024-25, and a total of Rs 197.50 crore was collected as fine for various offences.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Bengaluru: BMTC plans non-AC express bus service with fewer stops to cut commute time
In a bid to offer faster public transport options for long-distance commuters, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is preparing to roll out a fleet of non-air-conditioned express buses that will make fewer stops and take advantage of city flyovers to shorten travel times, Moneycontrol reported. Unlike regular non-AC buses, the upcoming service, likely to be launched under a new brand, will come with slightly higher fares, the report further added. However, it will still accommodate women passengers under the state's Shakti scheme, which provides free bus travel to women across Karnataka. 'We are working on route plans for these express services. Take Chikkaballapur, for instance, we already operate buses on that route, but the journey takes longer due to too many halts. These new buses will skip low-ridership stops and stick to major points, using flyovers where possible,' a senior BMTC official was quoted as saying by Moneycontrol. Areas like Attibele, Harohalli, Devanahalli, and Nelamangala are also under consideration for these services, based on emerging demand and ongoing analysis of passenger data. (Also Read: Bengaluru civic body engineer caught red-handed taking ₹10 lakh bribe, arrested) The BMTC move comes after app-based bike taxi services came to a grinding halt across Karnataka on Monday after the state's transport department enforced a High Court directive suspending their operations. Major ride-hailing platforms like Ola, Uber, and Rapido removed the bike taxi option from their apps, following the latest legal setback. The move came after a division bench of the Karnataka High Court declined to stay a previous order that had suspended such services in the state. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy confirmed that aggregators are now bound to follow the court's ruling. 'Three months ago, the court ruled that bike taxis are illegal. It initially gave six weeks, and then another six weeks on request. Now that 12 weeks have passed, the aggregators must follow the High Court order,' he told PTI. The division bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice V Kameshwar Rao and Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar, was hearing appeals filed by Uber India Systems Pvt Ltd, ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd (which runs Ola), and Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd (which operates Rapido), among others. The bench refused to intervene, effectively putting a pause on all bike taxi services in the state. The crackdown has sparked concern among daily commuters and gig workers, many of whom relied on bike taxis as a faster, affordable mode of transport or source of livelihood. (With agency inputs)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
After 8-year gap, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation recruits 2,000 drivers
Bengaluru: To address a long-standing staff crunch, (KSRTC) inducted 2,000 new driver-cum-conductors on Tuesday — the first major recruitment drive in eight years. The corporation, grappling with a shortage of around 5,000 drivers and conductors, had previously resorted to outsourcing 2,000 drivers through private agencies to keep services running. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The delay in recruitment was attributed to multiple factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic, financial constraints, and restrictions from the state govt on fresh appointments. With the induction of new staff, KSRTC plans to add more bus schedules in the coming days. On Tuesday, transport minister Ramalinga Reddy symbolically handed over appointment letters to 51 top-performing candidates who had secured the highest marks during the selection process. KSRTC received 25,494 applications for the posts, of which 13,954 were shortlisted for the selection process.
