Date:07/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/07/stories/2008030761070100.htm

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BMTC pass bonanza for students

Anil Kumar Sastry

The gesture is aimed at ensuring safe travel to out-of-school classes

Students can get regular passes at half the rate
This may reduce their dependence on two-wheelers

BANGALORE: Here is good news for thousands of students in Bangalore. Their concessional bus passes, hitherto limited to only between their homes and educational institutions, now afford them to get to other destinations such as places of tuition, computer classes and so on. Hitherto, they had to depend either on two-wheelers or take the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) service paying full fare.

This is bound to come as a relief to parents who worry about their wards speeding on two-wheelers on congested roads. Besides increasing the pressure on roads, several young riders are becoming victims of accidents.

Although the exact figures on student casualties are not available, of the 1,081 road deaths and 6,591 injuries reported in the city in 2007, 361 and 3,282 victims respectively were in the age group of 7-30. To offer seamless mobility to students round-the-clock and reduce the number of two-wheelers on the roads, the BMTC has decided to offer regular monthly passes at half price to bona fide students from 2008-09.

“Besides offering convenient travel to students, our move is aimed at reducing the number of two-wheelers on Bangalore roads and the resultant road accidents,” said BMTC managing director Upendra Tripathy.

Mr. Tripathy told The Hindu that a majority of students were depending on two-wheelers as student concession pass did not offer seamless travel.

“If we offer unlimited mobility at an affordable cost, students and parents are bound to take the offer,” he said.

Purchase of monthly passes is optional even as regular student concession passes will continue to be issued. Regular monthly passes cost Rs. 390 (City Services), Rs. 535 (Suburban Services) and Rs. 570 (Pushpak Services) and students opting any one of these passes will pay only 50 per cent of the price while enjoying the benefits like a regular commuter.

In all, the corporation issued more than 3.04 lakh student passes in 2007-08. The break-up is as follows: 35,500 primary school students (Rs. 60 for 10 months); 60,000 high school students (Rs. 450); 78,600 PU students (Rs. 850); 59,000 degree college students (Rs. 850); 32,000 professional college students (Rs. 850); 33,000 Medical and Engineering students (Rs. 1,200) and 2,500 evening college students (Rs. 1,400).

Obviously, BMTC’s target group is college students — pass-holders as well as those who do not use concession passes — who extensively use two-wheelers.

Mr. Tripathy said the half-price passes would be sold to evening college students too, although many of them might be employed during the day.

The beauty of this offer lies in the fact that monthly passes can be purchased or renewed every month throughout the year while the student concession passes are issued only for 10 months. The benefit of accident insurance, Rs. 10,000 in case of hospitalisation and Rs. 50,000 in case of death, available under student concession passes will continue to be available under monthly concession passes too.