I saw in Citizen Matters that I could volunteer for Bus Day this month:
So I’ve registered myself….let’s see what I am asked to do, and what happens! It’s going to be interesting, and I am rather tickled by the concept that "celebrities" cannot take the bus without assistance!
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Nine two-wheeler riders die every hour in India. In 2024 alone, more than 4 lakh road accidents were reported. Nearly 1.7 lakh people lost their lives in these crashes. While Indian roads aren't the best, Dimpu Chindappa also attributes accidents to driver behaviour. Dimpu is an engineer who was building roads and now she own a driving school in Bengaluru, "Drivonaut". Drivonaut is a unique driving school which prioritises road safety and prepares drivers to prevent accidents. While most driving classes cut through the system to get their students the driving license, Drivonaut ensures that they are fully prepared for…
43-year-old Saridha from Hongasandra works as housekeeping staff at an apartment complex in HSR Layout, an affluent area in southern Bengaluru. There was a time when her work commute meant a one-hour, 3-km walk from her house to the apartment. And then the same way back after a tiring day's work. Till she came to know of the HSR Feeder bus. Now, she can take a BMTC bus from her place to Bommanahalli. It's a short 400 metres from there to the Mangammanpalya stop, where she takes the feeder bus, which drops her off right next to where she works.…
Update: Today I got a call from Girija of BMTC (phone no. 2295 2522) who asked me where (of four locations, including Silk Board, and Electronics City) I’d like to be. Then she told me that East End was also one of the locations, and I have volunteered for that, for the evening shift.
The other two locations were Mekhri Circle and Majestic.
080411 update: Late yesterday, I got an SMS from mobile no. 98865 19061, as follows:
“Please contact Mr Nithin Hegde at 77609 91012 regarding any clarification about bus day tmrw. Pls inform him you are a non-bmtc volunteer. Regards/bmtc team”.
Just now, I called the number and spoke to Mr Nithin Hegde, who asked me how I had got his number, who gave it to me (I explained)…and he said “Namge enu gotthilla” (I don’t know anything)….I’ve been calling the mobile no from which the message came, and I am not able to get through.
I’m probably going to East End by 5pm, see what I can do….
I am wondering what happened after 5PM.Request you to continue the post with your Bus Day experience as volunteer. Thanks
Another update: I did go and spend until 6.30pm there; as far as I could see, no VIP or other notable seemed to come to East End! But it was nice to watch the cross-section of people who DO use the buses regularly, and then I walked to Ranga Shankara to see a play.