Low-cost Vayu Vajras a big hit

Low-cost Vayu Vajras a big hit


Our Bureau

Bangalore, May 24 “My ears are hurting,” says Mr Dastageer Shariff, Chief Transport Officer (Operations) at Bangalore Metro Transport Corporation (BMTC). He has been answering his phone non-stop, barely a day after the new airport opened.

Like him, his three-shift control room handled by just four personnel in each shift was flooded with 1,000 calls until Saturday afternoon, says one of the controllers. The calls are for advance bookings on BMTC’s special AC 35-seater Volvo shuttle service (branded Vayu Vajra) between the city and the Bengaluru International Airport at Devanahalli.

In recent months, virtually every air traveller has been obsessed with the nightmarish thought of a 40-50-km ride to the new airport, and BMTC’s buses seem to be an answer to the car-clogged roads.

Bangaloreans are not known to take a bus to the airport. However, Mr Shariff said the response on the first evening of operations of Vayu Vajra was “excellent”. “We went all out to promote the concept among those travelling to Bangalore from the metros and sent out people for 3-4 days to these cities.”

The ‘bus-to-airport’ concept may catch up, but Mr Shariff has no illusions about its revenues. “We could lose heavily on this segment. Our tickets are priced very low and we have even been advised against it. But it’s for a good cause,” he says.

People can now travel to or from the airport conveniently for between Rs 80-150 each. The alternative, he said, would be taxi rides that can cost Rs 750-1,500, especially into the city.

BMTC also has its 80 non-AC airport buses for far lower fares. It has invested Rs 28 crore on the Volvos and around Rs 13 crore on the plain buses and plans to buy some more buses for this service.