Belagavi is seeing a wave of improved connectivity with the launch of the Vande Bharat Express to Bengaluru and regular flights to six destinations from the city’s airport. On paper, this is a big leap forward for both business and leisure travel. But for many residents, there’s a glaring gap in the journey – getting to the railway station or airport itself, especially during odd hours.
Take the Vande Bharat Express to Bengaluru, for instance. The train departs at 5:20 a.m., which means passengers need to be at the station by around 5:00 a.m. For most, that translates to leaving home by 4:30 a.m. or earlier. But what public transport is available at that hour? Without a friend or family member willing to drop them, passengers face uncertainty – will there even be an auto available? And if there is, what would it cost? If a one-kilometre auto ride during the day is already around ₹60, early-morning fares could be far higher, and often, bargaining is the only option.
The same problem extends to Belagavi’s Sambra airport. While flights are often associated with premium travel, the argument that “if you can pay ₹5,000 for a ticket, you can afford a ₹600 taxi” doesn’t hold for everyone. For those who wish to travel affordably – students, small business owners, the additional ₹500–₹600 taxi fare from the city to the airport is a significant burden. More importantly, there’s simply no reliable public transport to the airport at present, making the journey both costly and inconvenient.
More importantly, there’s simply no reliable public transport to the airport at present, making the journey both costly and inconvenient. And with no metered taxis or app-based taxi services operating in Belagavi, options are further limited.
Ravi, a Belagavi-based businessman, recently faced this dilemma. “I had a business trip to Bengaluru and wanted to take a flight, but without anyone to drop me, the cost of just reaching the airport was discouraging. It’s not about affording the flight ticket; it’s about accessibility,” he said.
Another regular traveller to Bengaluru summed it up well: “This Vande Bharat is convenient, but who will drop me at 5 a.m. to the station is the question.”
Currently, Belagavi airport connects to six destinations, but the lack of an affordable, dependable connection from the city to the airport limits its usage. For both the Vande Bharat and the flights to truly benefit the public, planners and local authorities need to address this missing link.
Possible solutions could include introducing early-morning city buses on key routes, a fixed-fare airport shuttle service, or ride-share tie-ups that ensure availability during odd hours. Until then, while the city’s trains and flights may be ready to take off, passengers are still left wondering how to begin their journey.