6 months ago
2
Metro feeder routes connecting concern and residential areas of north-west Bengaluru person recorded a crisp summation successful women passengers aft the motorboat of the Shakti scheme, which provides escaped autobus rides to women successful Karnataka, according to a survey by Azim Premji University.
The study, ‘Gender, Welfare, and Mobility: Impact of Shakti Scheme connected BMTC Transport transformation’, conducted by Tamoghna Halder and Arjun Jayadev of the Centre for the Study of the Indian Economy (CSIE), Azim Premji University, based connected 2 years of BMTC trip-level data, shows that routes astir Jalahalli and Peenya person seen 1 of the astir important shifts successful ridership patterns with women present forming the bulk of passengers connected galore metro-linked buses.
The researchers analysed 2.89 crore autobus trips operated by BMTC betwixt January 2023 and January 2025. Since the Shakti strategy came into effect connected June 11, 2023, the information allowed them to comparison six months of autobus operations earlier implementation with 18 months after.
The survey examined metro feeder routes that link neighbourhoods similar Jalahalli, Peenya, Nagasandra, Laggere, and Chikka Banavara to adjacent metro stations and concern clusters. These corridors see factories, garment units, and public-sector workplaces employing ample fig of women.
Jalahalli–Peenya corridor
The survey focuses connected BMTC’s metro feeder services, analysing routes with the highest rider density. Among them, Jalahalli Cross consistently ranked successful the apical 30 metro feeder routes crossed Bengaluru passim 2023 to 2025.
A person look astatine these routes showed that astir feeder services astir Jalahalli are short-distance loops linking interior residential areas to the highway, wherever cardinal autobus stops and metro stations are located. This pattern, researchers note, is important fixed Jalahalli’s presumption successful Bengaluru’s municipality geography -- the area, on with Peenya and Nagasandra, is simply a long-established concern portion surrounded by dense residential layouts.
The region’s individuality is defined by ample employers similar Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), on with clusters of garment units and respective pre-university colleges. The Jalahalli, Peenya and Nagasandra metro stations beryllium on the nationalist road towards Tumakuru, portion adjoining corridors link to Rajajinagar and Hebbal, making it a cardinal labour marketplace hub that is besides heavy residential, said the study.
On metro feeder routes covering Jalahalli and adjacent areas specified arsenic Peenya 2nd Stage, Laggere, and Chikka Banavara, the mean fig of Shakti passengers successful 2024 roseate by astir 78% from 2023. During the aforesaid period, the mean fig of fare-paying passengers declined by 29.5%.
Metro enlargement did not displace women riders
The survey besides examined the K.R. Puram–Whitefield corridor aft the Purple Line metro hold opened successful March 2023. The information amusement that autobus ridership connected this agelong fell by 25.6% aft the metro began operations, indicating that immoderate passengers switched modes. However, the diminution was driven chiefly by non-shakti oregon fare-paying passengers.
Women travelling nether the Shakti strategy continued to usage BMTC buses adjacent aft the metro’s introduction, with ridership remaining dependable connected routes connecting residential and peri-urban areas specified arsenic Chikka Tirupathi, Kalkunte Agrahara, Dodda Dunnasandra Cross, Dinnur, and Arehalli.
The survey notes that routes ending astatine K.R. Market, Majestic, and Tin Factory which are large commercialized and labour hubs besides saw continued precocious usage among Shakti travellers.
The survey points to this arsenic a motion that women are prioritising affordability and flexible entree implicit speed, since the autobus web reaches neighbourhoods beyond metro sum and remains escaped to use.
