BENGALURU: In the wake of the government’s proposal to increase bus fares by 18%, volunteers of the NGO Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV) on Thursday organized a ‘commuter ballot’ campaign at Kempegowda Bus Stand in Majestic.Polling was held from 11am to 1pm to know whether commuters were ready to pay more for bus tickets. Volunteers from various groups held placards carrying information about bus fares across cities and the proposed tariff hike to help commuters understand the issue. A total of 569 votes were polled, with 543 people (95%) voting against the hike and 25 (4%) in favour of it.Many participants said it’s cheaper to travel by two-wheelers or shared autos, adding that a fare hike will make commuting in BMTC buses unviable.“While the polling, held for over two hours, covered only a small number of commuters, the results are reflective of the larger sentiment among passengers about high ticket fares and the proposed hike. BBPV strongly opposes any move to increase fares,” said a statement from BBPV.“In line with our long-standing position on bus fares and recognizing that BMTC can’t run on ticket collections alone, BBPV calls for increased financial support for the corporation to help reduce fares and make buses affordable for the common man,” the statement added.Activists say any further rise in bus fares will force people to shift from public transport to private vehicles. It will adversely affect people from all walks of life, especially daily-wage earners and office goers who are solely dependent on buses. BMTC commuters include large sections of domestic workers, security guards, construction labourers, street vendors, municipal workers and garment workers.BBPV, which has been campaigning to increase the number of buses, slammed the government for postponing the fare hike instead of shelving the proposal.a

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