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What will make Bus Day a better success?
Written By kbsyed61 - 6 March, 2010
Bangalore BMTC Bus Citizen Reports Transportation public transport Bus Day
We all are looking for answer to one question. How can BMTC make the Bus Day a better success? The success being large numbers taking the bus on Bus day? Praja survey and poll has already given the answers to this question. One important factor that is eluding the Bus Day is, TRUST from citizens of Namma Bengaluru. Majority of us still don't trust that BMTC is a reliable and viable choice for daily commute.
The question is how can BMTC help create that TRUST? Let me not tread the philosophical, motherhood debate path. Let me put forward the list of things by an example that BMTC should do to earn that TRUST.
I will give you my experience of Bus Day that I observed for my commute in US on Feb 4th. That day, I took the Bus to my office and returned by Bus. Here is that experience.
I live in Rockville city of Maryland, USA. It is a sub-urb of Washington DC. Capital of USA. My office is in Clarksburg, MD which is about 21 Kms (14 Miles). My travel in both directions in both time morning and evening is against the traffic. Basically no traffic jams or traffic pile ups. I use a car and takes about 10-15 minute to reach my office.
Prior to Feb 4, probably on Feb 1 or 2, started looking for bus information and schedule. Luckily, both my home and office are in Montgomery county and it runs a PT buses by name RideON. This in turn integrated is with Washington Metro Trains. This provides seamless transfers. One of my colleague told me that there is a bus service which runs right next to our office.
Planning my Feb 4th Commute - Went to the RideOn website and started looking for bus service that connects my office, I started backwards from my Office. I didn't had any direct route. So I fall back on looking for connecting routes.I found that Route # 75 runs near my office and it goes upto Germantown Transit Center. From there there, I have to take 2 more buses to reach my home. From Germantown Tarnsit Center, I have to go to Shady Grove Metro Station and change over to another bus that would take me to the bus near my house. Searching hard I found that I can take a non-stop service between Germantown TC and SG Metro Station. Basically I got the idea that it would take 3 buses to reach my office and same for return. I printed the schedules directly from the RideON website
RideOn and Metro now has introduced a smart fare system using the SmartCard technology. Because carrying change is little out of place in US. Found that if I use Smartcard it will cost me only $1.25 for travel within 2 hours. You can take unlimited buses within these 2 hours and you will be charged only $1.25. Luckily I had the Smartcard but it needed to be recharged. The RideOn website provided all the information on buying and recharging the Smart Cards. It even had departmental stores selling and recharging the smart cards. Now I had all the information to take the bus on Feb 4th. On the night of Feb 3rd went to the nearest departmental store and got my Smartcard recharged with $25.
Actual Travel: On Feb 4th, started from home early @7 AM. Around 7:15 I got a bus to SG Metro station. I got into the bus and just needed to swipe the Smart card near the driver. In 5 minutes I was at SG Metro station. There was a bus route #100 waiting for destination to Germantown transit center. It started at 7:25 and reached GTC by 7:40. Changed over to Route 75 and it started at 7:45 and was at the Office stop @ 8 AM. Totally it took about 45 minutes to reach my office. All the buses were at the exact time as was listed in the schedule printouts.
In the evening, left office early and catched a Bus # 75 @ 4:15. Then took a connecting bus from GTC to SG Metro and then #64 to my home. Return journey took me little longer about 1hour 10 minutes.
Overall the experience was good and now I am motivated to take the bus regularly once the weather becomes little warmer. The lesson I learned from my experience is, if PT Service provider can provide the following:
- Most up to date Information on Routes - Website/Call Centers
- Little help to plan the trip (basically change over info) - Route Planner
- Easy Ticket payment or single ticket - Smart Card/ Pass
- Smart/Electronic form of payments for the fare - Authorized agents/ ATMs
- Schedules running at noted times - Reliable Service operations
Believe me, people will flock to PT system leaving their private vehicles.
I have no doubt in my mind that, these things can not be provided by BMTC also. BMTC can easily provide this type of service and can do much better.
However, BMTC mgmt will have to see things from citizen's perspective and will need to have the resolve to make BMTC a true Public Transport service provider.
COMMENTS
idontspam - 11 March, 2010 - 17:39
It would be tough to argue that PT is a viable option when it takes 4X the time and subjects you to physical discomfort
Very good point. Consider this
IF
Your 20 min car ride cost you a lot in terms of parking & congestion charging
AND
The bus service had proper timetable, route planner accessible online, was reliable (arrives on time), had connections without having to runnaround, stopped in bus stops safely and got you to your destination with just 2 changes maximum
Wouldnt that change things? The second part is in BMTC control.
Are BIAS routes available for intermediate travel ?
vvr - 12 March, 2010 - 03:41
For example, can I use BIAS4 for travel between Ulsoor Lake and CMH hospital? My understanding is that you cannot but if someone knows for sure, please let me know.
I am sorry that this is tangential to Syed's questions but it might be a small part of the larger solution.
vvr - 12 March, 2010 - 04:11
"Consider this
IF
Your 20 min car ride cost you a lot in terms of parking & congestion charging
AND
The bus service had proper timetable, route planner accessible online, was reliable (arrives on time), had connections without having to runnaround, stopped in bus stops safely and got you to your destination with just 2 changes maximum
Wouldnt that change things? The second part is in BMTC control"
IDS,
This is precisely the central question that each of us has to answer. We are constantly making choices (one printer vs another, one car vs.another, shopping at Namdharis vs at the street cart) in our lives. Subconsciously, we are doing what market researchers call conjoint analysis -- comparing one set of benefits and associated cost (this is not just in rupee terms) with another.
Given today's situation, the choice for me is very clear, it is the first of the two alternatives that you mention. If I throw in the environmental impact and the aggravation factor of the first alternative, the value difference is little less. If the scenario you describe for alternative 2 were to be realized, the balance would tilt in favor of alternative 2 every time, if I am traveling alone. If BMTC routes of my interest are run entirely by Vajras it will be a no-brainer (it is not the airconditioning but the sealed windows of the Vajras that appeal to me -- I am asthmatic) . I think BMTC is definitely making huge progress on the quality of their buses, it is the supporting infrastructure that needs a major upgrade.
You can use BIAS buses south of Hebbal
silkboard - 12 March, 2010 - 04:33
Yes VVR, you can use BIAS buses for your commute. Vinod has tried this, so we have clear supporting evidence.
I think BMTC has made press releases to make this clear, but may not have appeared prominently in papers.
idontspam - 11 March, 2010 - 17:23
What will make Bus Day a better success?
If buses stopped in the stops right next to the kerb. If this habit was inclucated in both drivers and commuters by putting bus stop stewards till such time the good habits rubbed off (maybe one generation long) on all. Simple basics will go a long way in making it comfortable and safe for users.
On the well made bus bays of Hosur road not SINGLE bus stops IN the bus bay. I speak after observing over 2 weeks at different times of the day, both peak and non peak. Not a soul to monitor, instruct, guide etc. What a waste.
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