Greenpeace India study finds 86% passengers favor bus lane system

Bus lanes reduce travel times and address traffic, air pollution issues

Survey findings were based on data collected from 979 bus passengers

A recent survey conducted by Greenpeace India, titled ‘Relying on Bus: Studying the Impacts of Bengaluru’s Bus Lane on Bus Use,’ which was released on September 20, revealed that a remarkable 86% of participants are in favor of expanding the city’s bus lane system.

This study highlights the positive impact of the bus lanes on travel times and proposes potential solutions to address Bengaluru’s traffic and air pollution crisis.

Survey respondents strongly recommended extending the bus lane network to key areas such as Hebbal, Tin Factory, Silk Board, Marathahalli, Whitefield, Electronic City, BTM Layout, Majestic, and KR Puram.

The survey findings are based on data collected from 979 bus passengers between May and July 2022. The bus lane, which covered approximately 18.5 km along the Outer Ring Road, was discontinued in mid-2022 due to the commencement of metro construction.

According to the report, more than 28% of bus users reported improved travel times since the introduction of the bus lane. This improvement was particularly significant for those traveling longer distances, as 54% of respondents noted a reduction in travel time from 60-90 minutes to 30-60 minutes.

The survey’s analysis focused on how bus commuters perceived changes in journey duration, speed, waiting times, ease of boarding, crowding, staff conduct, and safety standards since the bus lane’s implementation.

Interestingly, 3% of respondents reported that they did not use buses before the bus lane’s introduction, and a majority (73%) of these “new” bus users were women. Half of the respondents indicated that bus speeds had increased, and waiting times had decreased following the introduction of the bus lane.