The recent Karnataka Shakti Scheme facilitates women to travel across Karnataka free of cost is a positive step forward but does not resolve the lack of connectivity in underserved areas. And now Alli Serona, a women’s collective, is addressing this mobility gap with Bengaluru’s first collapsible and mobile bus stop, which hopes to demonstrate how the transportation needs of the informal sector can be met. This ‘mobile bus stop’ will journey through four chosen areas in Bengaluru namely, Hosa Nagar, Seegahalli, Thursday Sante Area, and Byrasandra, across October.

The bus stop will be installed from October 5-7 behind Baiyappanahalli Metro Station, Hosa Nagar, from where it will move to Seegehalli and Priyanka Nagar on October 9-10, at the Thursday Sante Area on October 16-18, and at Byrasandra on October 20-21. Designed to resemble a wooden, scaled-down version of a typical bus stop, the installation will have a ticket counter, seating arrangements, a shared space for waiting, and a newsstand. “Through this installation we have created a platform with and for women working in the informal workforce of the city, to increase their participation in decision-making for improved public transport services for all,” says SureshaKantha B, a community coordinator from APSA for the Jayanagara constituency.

Ms Sujatha, a woman leader and tailor from Vijayanagar, Whitefield, shares, “We’re a family of four. My husband, maternal uncle, and I share a two-wheeler for work. Each of us having a vehicle increases carbon emissions. Many families do the same. Buses accommodating 50-60 people significantly reduce emissions. Leaving early doesn’t always help due to traffic. I’ve seen cars carrying one person, though they can seat five to six. Imagine if everyone used buses. This could positively impact the environment, leading to better rains, enhanced greenery, improved air quality, and overall better quality of life and health.”

Since 2022, Alli Serona has worked to pass the mic to women who are invisibilized even though they are an intrinsic part of the city. Mallika Arya of Bengaluru Moving says, “Goal 11 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals appeals to member countries to provide safe, affordable, and accessible transportation to all, especially those in vulnerable situations. Inclusive mobility in urban areas is however often overlooked. The Alli Serona Mobile Bus Stop demonstrates how a good public transport system can bring people into the fold of the city.”

These are some of the questions that the short documentary ‘Alli Serona: Together in Art’ raises with sensitivity. Screened on the 13th of July at Alliance Française de Bangalore, the film documents the efforts of ‘Alli Serona’ (Let’s meet there), a social impact movement. ‘Alli Serona’ originated in Marathahalli, a bustling locality in suburban Bengaluru to bring together women working in the informal sector, in an empowering community-centric movement.

You can watch this short documentary here: https://youtu.be/t-Fes6qk1d8

Tanisha Arora, a Senior Creative Strategist and key spokesperson for the initiative, says, “Alli Serona: Together in Art,’ successfully demonstrates how participatory art practices can empower even the most underserved women and help them transcend language barriers, cultural differences, and social divides. Active involvement in collective creation away from the daily grind can offer them a shared opportunity for dialogue, self-expression, and mutual connection.”

Why the name ‘Alli Serona’? “The name was chosen by the women themselves and it has a certain energy and movement that they have come to relate with.,” adds Tanisha. They are also acutely aware of how climate change impacts underserved communities like their own. “The effects of climate change are first felt by informal settlements, often affecting marginalised communities whose voices are often absent in decision-making spaces and processes. The ‘Alli Serona’ movement is an attempt to ensure that the voices of the most vulnerable stakeholders are not only heard but also amplified.”

The film focuses on many such voices and celebrates the resilience of women like Parvathamma and Chand Bi who now steal a little time for themselves to collectively reflect upon their role in the informal workforce and as well as in society. Says Shwetha T, a dedicated mural artist involved in the project from the Aravani Art Project, “Women have all sorts of things in their hearts. Pain, sadness, joy, and difficulties. We make them forget all of that when we invite them to paint.”

Alli Serona (“Let’s meet there” in Kannada) is a collective of civil society organisations, creators, and think tanks that are working together to bring the voices of the informal sector of Bengaluru to the centre of the city’s shift to a more sustainable, low-carbon city.