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Ads Volvo buses illegal; but, BMTC carries on unmindful
Written By murali772 - 31 July, 2010
Bangalore BMTC Bus KSRTC Media Reports competition privatisation law enforcement
Regional Transport Authority officials never had it so tough. While they have managed to stop all private and government vehicles from displaying advertisements, they've found the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) a tough nut to crack. They're armed with an Act of law, a high court ruling and a Road Safety Authority (RSA) decision which prohibits display of ads on vehicles as these could distract other drivers. However BMTC buses, especially the Volvos, continue to display huge ads. What's worse, government ads with large photographs of chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and transport minister R Ashoka are on almost all buses plying towards IT corridor areas like Whitefield and Electronic City. Interestingly, BMTC managing director Syed Zameer Pasha says he's unaware of this blatant flouting of rules.
The RTOs decided not to give fitness certificates to Volvo buses with ads. That's when BMTC officials got creative. They used removable ad material without using glue. "Once they get the fitness certificate, they fix the ad back. What can we do about it?'' asked an RTO.
For the full report in the TOI, click here
The fact of the matter is that it was being carried out with the full knowledge of the top officials (except perhaps the MD, who unawareness is perhaps not confined to just this matter), who besides had come up with creative ways of flouting the law. They may have even bagged awards for such ingeneous ways of maximising revenue. And, now that the game stands exposed, will any action be taken against any of the officials involved? Will they even be pulled up? Absolutely no chance, if you ask me!
Well, here's clearly another good reason why the government agencies should be withdrawn from providing services, to the many other reasons that have already been discussed at length on PRAJA. Like I have repeatedly been saying, the government has the more important function of facilitation and regulation to perform, and when it becomes a player in addition, its functioning as the facilitator and regulator gets adversely affected.
Ideally, the government holding in BMTC and KSRTC should, in the matter of the next three years, be brought down to less than 25%. Of the balance, 10% may be issued on preference to employees, and the balance issued to public. Simultaneously, the sector should be opened out for competition from big ticket players. Bus services are too vital an infrastructure area not to have the benefit of the expertise and capacities of big players.
Muralidhar Rao
COMMENTS
Naveen - 4 August, 2010 - 10:32
Whatever, flouting laws is a certain no-no.
Sure, agreed. But what I do not agree with is that this can also be used as a plea to justify calls for privatization.
The logic for banning ads due to driver distraction is also questionable since it is a revenue stream that cannot be ignored with dubious justifications.
idontspam - 31 July, 2010 - 17:44
They're armed with an Act of law, a high court ruling and a Road Safety Authority (RSA) decision which prohibits display of ads on vehicles as these could distract other drivers
Road Safety Authority - What is that? How long has it been in existence? Is it a state of central authority?
Commercial exploitation - What's Wrong ?
Naveen - 1 August, 2010 - 04:08
Having been nurtured in gandhian ways, we, as a nation are loathe to any form of commercialization, particularly when it involves public utilities. What's wrong with commercialization of some space on buses for ad revenues ? After all, aren't they providing vital services & could do with income to sustain such services ?
Step across to the east - Singapore, Malaysia, Hongkong or anywhere else in the world including the Americas or Europe & commercialization of all possible ad spaces including those within & outside buses, trains, on flyovers, bridges, etc. are evident & govt /public institutions generate substantial revenues on the side to support such subsidized public services. Do they suffer from such alleged driver distractions there ?
This argument of driver distraction has it's origins in a case of the 1970s when a trailer bus had crashed into KG circle & it was argued in court that the ads on the overhead pedestrian bridge just before the circle had distracted the driver, though it had remained unproven & inconclusive.
As far as ads on buses go, the way they are grotesquely displayed just about anywhere & everywhere needs to be stamped out & the RSA must enforce guidelines as to where & how much area can be utilized for displaying ads on buses. A 335E volvo bus that is operating now is completely covered up in a painted ad colored white & looks more like a private bus, except that an LED that displays the route suggests that it's a BMTC bus. Such ugly depictions certainly need to be stamped out, no doubt.
We continue to produce regulations that empower one authority over the other for one-upmanship - a remnant of the license-permit-raj. If ads are completely banned, BMTC & others are bound to get around the rule & do things on the sly, & it's not surprising to come across articles such as the recent one in TOI.
The solution is to admit ads & prescribe where & how much area can be utilized for such depictions - not banning them entirely.
Mr Murali - your argument to seek privatization for this sounds lame again.
pdk - 1 August, 2010 - 08:39
There are two angles to the post I think:
1. Ads on buses causing safety issues
2. Flouting of rules by BMTC
Second point first. If we take flouting of rules by any entity to support an argument against its structure of ownership, then we can argue till the cows come home.
As for the ads on buses causing safety issues, there was an interesting campaign on London buses recently. They carried a paid message : "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life". This message should've startled almost everyone who saw it and caused them to jump a bit, believers and atheists alike. But there has been no observed increase in fatalities related to this in that city (as far as I know, glad to be proved wrong).
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