subject: Seeing Bangalore by bus [print this page] Seeing Bangalore by bus Seeing Bangalore by bus
Buses are one of the most popular ways to see the city of Bangalore and many hotels in Bangalore can be found close to the main bus stations as well as various stops.
An insight into the bus system
It can be confusing trying to work out which us goes where but once you have the hang of it gets much easier. Many of the buses in Bangalore do not display the names of their destinations in English, making it hard to know where to get off. Many choose to pre-book a luxury Volvo coach when taking longer trips in and around the city to avoid the confusion.
# Buses are cheap and they work well as a system as they very rarely run late. The route number is sometimes displayed in English so finding out which route number you need rather than the name of the destination may be beneficial. Maps can be found at the main bus stations and are rarely found at the smaller stops throughout the city.
# It is important to know that buses boasting red boards run to places and suburbs outside of the city while those with black boards stay within the limits of the city. The normal buses are painted white and blue while newer buses are silver with fancy LED lighting display boards. The most recent addition to the city's fleet of buses are red and orange buses that offer a high standard of travelling with well serviced air conditioning along with comfortable seats.
# The Pushpak bus service is also a preferable one for tourists as the seats are good and the air conditioning is cooling. These are recognised by their tan exterior and they are more expensive than the usual blue and white buses but less than the new red and orange ones. The red Vajra buses are Volvo buses that are in the same league as the Pushpak but these always offer the route name and number in English, which is highly unusual in Bangalore.
# The yellow buses are known as the Big 10 and they run a total of 10 routes in all of the major areas in the city and mainly bring people from the suburbs into the inner parts of the city. Many of these now also offer routes with English names but not always and they are easy to spot because of their colour as well as the huge 10 digit that is painted onto the side of the bus.
# It is important to avoid the buses during rush hour in the morning and the evening but during the day they are fairly easy to ride. Women often have seats reserved for them at the front of the bus so it is best to avoid these seats if you are a male. Buses run all day and throughout the night but these services after 23:00 are minimal. A daily pass is better value for money than buying a ticket every time you board and the on-duty bus conductor is the person to see about a pass.
The three major bus stations are called Kempegowda Bus Stand, City Market and Shivajinagar. Your hotel in Bangalore will be able to offer advice on how to get to the one nearest to your accommodation.
