Bengaluru: Passengers travelling between Tumakuru and Bengaluru’s IT hub of Electronics City say the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (BMTC) newly launched direct Vistara AC bus service has brought significant relief, cutting travel time by up to an hour.The 101-km route via NICE Road, the longest bus service operated by BMTC, is proving beneficial for hundreds of daily commuters by offering a faster and more convenient connection between the two cities.Thejaswini KN., who has been commuting between Tumakuru and Electronics City for the past four years, said the new service has provided much-needed relief.“Earlier, travelling from Tumakuru to Electronics City was a challenge. I had to change multiple buses—taking a KSRTC bus from Tumakuru to Arasinakunte, another to Madavara, and then a BMTC bus to Electronics City via NICE Road. It was time-consuming and exhausting. Now, I can travel directly on a single bus, saving nearly 45 minutes to an hour every day,” she said.Launched on Monday, the bus departs Tumakuru at 7.45am and reaches Electronics City around 9.45am. In the return direction, it leaves Electronics City at 5.45pm and reaches Tumakuru by around 9pm. The one-way fare is 200.Ajay Kumar, another IT professional, said the service has made his daily commute significantly more convenient. “Hundreds of people travel between Tumakuru and Electronics City every day. I usually take the evening service from Electronics City after work because it aligns well with my office hours. The direct connectivity has considerably reduced travel time, and with only a few stops between Madavara and Tumakuru, the journey is much faster,” he said.Maruthi AH, a regular commuter to Electronics City via NICE Road, said passengers had long been seeking a direct bus service between Tumakuru and Electronics City. “There was a strong demand for a direct service with limited stops. Earlier, commuting was quite difficult. Even after the Madavara Metro station opened on Tumakuru Road, buses from Tumakuru did not stop there. Passengers had to alight at either Arasinakunte or Eight Mile and travel back to Madavara to catch a bus to Electronics City. Some also took the Green Line Metro to R V Road before switching to the Yellow Line. With the new service, passengers can now travel directly from Tumakuru to Electronics City without the hassle of multiple transfers,” he said.Passengers said BMTC should consider introducing more long-distance routes connecting Electronics City with other satellite towns.BMTC chief traffic manager (operations) GT Prabhakar Reddy said the new service was launched in response to public demand. “The ridership for the newly introduced AC service between Electronics City and Tumakuru has been encouraging. At 101 km, this is the longest route currently operated by BMTC and the journey takes around three hours. Earlier, we introduced services on the Satellite Town Ring Road, connecting Nelamangala and Hoskote. It covers a distance of about 80km,” he said.The official added that after the state govt permitted BMTC to operate within a 40-km radius beyond the Greater Bengaluru Area boundary, the corporation introduced Vistara AC services connecting Bengaluru with Tumakuru, Channapatna, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagara, Kanakapura and other satellite towns.
