IN-PERSON Manchester Livable Cities

Abstract

In a city, the public transport system plays a key role in shaping urban mobility. People from all walks of life depend on public transport for their everyday commuting experiences. In a city like Bangalore, which is considered one of the fastest-growing cities in South Asia, public transport, especially buses, has become a microcosm of daily urban life. With advancements in industrial and technological opportunities in Bangalore, there has been a growing demand for bus usage over the years. As a well-connected transport system, BMTC buses have become an inevitable part of life for people residing in Bangalore. This paper aims to understand how public transport functions as a site for cultural meaning-making. The crucial question it investigates is: What role does BMTC play in constructing a cultural identity for the city, beyond its functional purpose as a transport service, from the traveller’s perspective? By interviewing daily commuters, the study seeks to understand how their experiences help shape the urban mobility transition of Bangalore. Fifteen semi-structured interviews with long-time BMTC users will be conducted as the primary method of data collection. These participants have observed transitions in the system over recent years and can reflect on how these changes have contributed to an identity for the city and for themselves. By utilizing Mobilities Theory, as developed by John Urry and Mimi Sheller, this paper seeks to analyze buses as cultural spaces and to understand how travellers’ experiences shape Bangalore’s evolving identity.