Six months of using public bus for daily commute

It has been just over six months since I started using the BMTC Vayu Vajra(bias/bial/bia) buses for my daily commute to office. I was car pooling with a colleague before that and when he moved company I decided to give the BMTC Vayu Vajra bus a try and so far been a great experience. There are some very good things apart from the very obvious benifits of using public transport.

Staying enroute to the airport has helped me as the BMTC Vayu Vajra which is the airport shuttle, picks passengers for other stops enroute, this has made my commute very convenient. I used the BMTC  website to get the details of the buses and to figure out the bus that would best suite my needs.

One of the best things that has happened to me because of using public transport is the amount of walking that I get to do. I walk aroundn 3kms every day on an average, while covering the last mile to home and to office. This has helped me lose weight and get back into shape. Moreover I picked up a new hobby of collecting seeds of trees in bangalore and plantimg them. Most of these seeds were collected while walking as part of my commute. I have so far planted around 8 saplings in my balcony and have also gifted some seeds and saplings to friends and relatives. I now observe trees around me more keenly than I ever did. Am able to identify quite a few trees and their seeds. On that note here is a very good reference for the flowering trees in Bangalore.

The other good thing has been my reading. I have read lots of books in this past six months, thanks to the time that i get on the bus. The 40 min ride each way gives me around an hour and half of reading time each day, which is quite good. I have got so used to reading on the bus that I start feeling very itchy if I do not have anything to read while on the bus. So, I now carry atleast two books with me all the time in my bag.

Another very good experience has been meeting nice and interesting people. More often than not I run into very interesting people in the bus. I end up having good conversations and making friends. Very recently I met a part time wildife photohrapher, who was on his way to Kabini from Mumbai. Had a nice time talking to him and getting to see his photography equipment.

I would encourage everyone to see if they can find a good connecting bus from their workplace to home and atleast try using the public transport. Even if you can do it once a week, it will be a good experience. Here are some resources which can help you plan your travel.

1. BMTC Website
2. BTIS Website
3. Route Finder

And how could I have missed mentioning that most of this blog post was composed on my bus ride to office today morning.