Bhopal: Evening falls, public transport goes off road, youth commuters get nervy

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): At a time when Indore is getting ready for opening of shops around the clock and for 24 hour public transport services. Here, in the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, youth still find it difficult to commute as the evening descends, the public transport goes off the road after 10 pm.

The state’s capital has recently grown into an educational hub, and many young people come here looking for opportunities. But the city’s gasping transport system hassle them. Many commuters face difficulties in travelling from their house to their coaching classes and work after 9pm in the city as the number of buses on the road start coming down in the evening.

According to Bhopal City Link Ltd. (BCLL) PRO Sanjay Soni, there are 352 buses operating on 20 routes in Bhopal. The services start at 6am and end at 10:30pm. But as the evening descends, the number of buses reduces.

Simran Choudhary, a civil services aspirant taking coaching in MP Nagar, said, "After my classes, I have a part-time job. I usually get done with my work by 10pm and every day I face difficulties going back, because the most pocket-friendly way to commute is by bus, and buses are scarcely available after 9pm."

She added that other commute options like autos and cabs are so expensive at that hour, and it is very tough for a student to take up that on a daily basis.

Similarly, a 23-year-old girl working at a café situated on Kerwa Road said that it is impossible for her to get any public transport late in the evening. “There are no public buses on this route, and after 8:30 pm, Kerwa Road looks deserted, and it seems the public transport has suddenly disappeared. Even taxi aggregators like Ola and Uber fail to get us a cab here. Sometimes, we get an auto via these apps; the auto drivers ask us to cancel the ride or pay an extra amount,”she added.