Garment workers demand 10 bus priority lanes

Bengaluru: Demanding 11 bus priority lanes across Bengaluru, 28,000 women workers from various garment factories on Tumakuru Road, along with Greenpeace India, on Thursday petitioned the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) to restore the ORR bus lane.
A total of 28,974 garment workers were signatories to the petition.
The workers apprised the DULT officials that with the rollout of the Shakti scheme, more women are choosing to travel by buses, resulting in increased ridership.However, the lack of dedicated lanes is affecting the smooth operation of buses due to heavy traffic congestion.
Jayamala, a garment factory worker at a unit on Tumakuru Road, said, "It almost takes two hours to go from Nagasandra to the central areas of the city like KR Market. Had there been a dedicated bus lane, it would have reduced the travel time considerably. Most of us cannot afford to travel by Metro to work on a daily basis."
The workers also demanded safe and well-maintained public buses with better frequency and routes covering all areas effectively.
"We urge the reinstatement of the ORR bus lane and the long-term running of the other proposed bus lanes that can help alleviate traffic congestion, reduce air pollution, and other environmental impacts," said Sharat MS from Greenpeace India.