New book celebrates Bengaluru's BMTC bus stories, captures lives on transit
Bengaluru: A new bilingual book titled Bengalurina Bussina Kathegalu (Bengaluru’s Bus Stories) was released on Monday, offering a heartwarming collection of real-life experiences from the city’s BMTC buses. Presented in Kannada and English, the book turns the routine of bus commuting into poignant narratives of connection, emotion, and community.
Compiled by a diverse group of writers and volunteers, the book is a joint effort by researchers from Utrecht University (Netherlands), the EQUIMOB project, the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV), and the non-profit Samvada.With 23 stories divided into seven themes, it offers a people's archive of the daily life happening on Bengaluru's buses.
The stories span from childhood memories to friendships and even transformative encounters. One story remembers the excitement of taking a double-decker bus ride, while another tells how a conductor's wise action resolved a family feud over a nascent romance.
Prajwal Nagesh, one of the researchers who worked on the project, highlighted the collective effort that went into the book. "While each of us has our own recollections of BMTC buses, such stories are not often recorded. This book is a collective memory of those experiences," he said.
During the launch event, the personal bus memories were shared by volunteers such as Mamatha Gamana, which encouraged people at the event to contribute their own anecdotes, giving an insight into how these daily travels have influenced the social geography of the city for many years.
Released as an e-book, Bengaluru's Bus Stories is available on Equimob's website and the Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike blog.
Bengaluru's Bus Stories – Bengalurina Bussina Kathegalu, a book offering insights into BMTC - the city’s lifeline- was launched on Monday. It captures memories of double-deckers, bus bonds, everyday life around buses@BBPVedike pic.twitter.com/T21W2nldy4
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Fire in coach of New Delhi-Chennai express train; no casualty
Nagpur (PTI): A coach of the New Delhi-Chennai Grant Trunk Express caught fire in Maharashtra's Wardha district on Tuesday morning, railway officials said.
There were no casualties, they said.
Train 12616 New Delhi-Chennai (Tambaram) Grant Trunk Express left from Nagpur in the morning. While it was heading towards Sindi railway station in Wardha, smoke was detected in the last guard coach of the train at 11.09 am, Central Railway spokesperson Sanjay Muley told PTI.
The train was stopped on the Sindi-Tuljapur section, the affected coach was detached immediately, and the fire brigade was called, he said.
All passengers in the train and the coach concerned were safe, the official said.
The cause of the fire will be known after a detailed investigation.
The train will resume its journey in some time without the affected coach, the official added.
