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New reforms to be implemented(BMTC)
Written By shashi kumar y - 4 February, 2011
Bangalore BMTC Bus suggestion Transportation public transport
Many have already posted about this topic in a different way so as to how make BMTC effective in terms of providing service.
Following are my views mainly in terms of operational:
1** BMTC needs to do a survey all over the bangalore every year or atleast once in two year so as know the passenger demand
and on basis of that different connecting routes needs to introduced also the no. of buses needs to be allotteed to that route
number.
2** the officials and the depot managers should enforce a strict rule where in the crew should complete the allotted duty hours.
Because at present the almost many crew end the duty by 9pm. If we look at the statistics, around 60% in BMTC driver/conductor work for less than 7 hours 30 minutes (this inlcudes the break time too).
NOTE: the above doesn't apply to GENRAL SERVICE BUSES AS THEY PLY FOR 10HRS.
3** The officials should frame new timings where in all crews need to work for 8hrs(approx.). Why approx.??? Becoz the completion of 8hrs may takes place at far away place as compared to the respective depot of crew. Hence approx 8hrs.
4** The SHIFT(DOUBLE DUTY-8HRS) SERVICE should start at 6:30am and end b/w 2:15pm- 2:30pm. The next should start at 2:30pm-2:45pm and end at 10:30pm-10:45pm. There by public will have bus service till 10:00pm for sure.
LOOK AT PRIVATE COMPANIES employes WHERE IN IF OUR LOGIN HOURS DOESN'T MEET 9HRS(Icluding the break), deduction in salary will take place or we need to extend our working hrs.
5** The dept needs to cater to all sections of society with various types of services and henece needs to procure buses of various seating capacity.
6** It needs to stop dumping a particular route buses to one particular depot because that creates problem of public in terms of getting service.
Example: Consider Route 2- There are around 15 buses alloted for this route. Out of the 15 buses, 12 buses are alloted to depot -4(jayanagar) which causes trouble to public during noon and late night b/w 8pm and 9pm.
How the trouble araises: As we know, in the double shift service, crew change takes place b/w 1pm - 2pm. So all the double shift buses will be either at JAYANAGAR 4th blk or at JP nagar 6th phase. Because of this people at the other end (MAJESTIC) will have to wait till 2pm and beyond for thses buses to come to KBS considering the crew change happpend at 1pm & then 1hr journey.
Some examples 18(D-4), 215H(d-34),171(d-15/25) etc.
BMTC officials needs to distribute(official term "allot") the buses of a particular route no. to depots along the route.
7** They need to procure the electronic ticketing machine so as to stop misleading/ corruption done by the conductors.
It has more advantage if the whole BMTC org is computerized.
The buses need to be maintained in good condition(inner lighting, daily cleaning, daily washing throughly outside[not for the name sake], checking whether the rear brake lightsworking, proper board lighting, checking of indicators rear, front, side top). People may ask why the above??? Just tell how ordinary buses brake light or indicators are in working condition except VOLVO. The signals are very important from genral road users point of view.
The above are my suggestions or ideas. I have posted it in a short form!!! ( Yes it is very lenghty but the idea I have in my mind can only be dicussed openly but can't be written)
Looking forward for many more suggestions and ideas from users/ readers.
COMMENTS
murali772 - 4 February, 2011 - 16:52
@ Mr Pathy - There's this forum already. What I think of it I have mentioned in the post itself. But, perhaps it suits BMTC's purpose adequately.
murali772 - 4 February, 2011 - 11:37
@ Shashi Kumar - Excellent list you have drawn up. I can also add a lot more to that. But, when BMTC is being showered with all kinds of awards for what I would consider a mediocre service at best, and there are enough people in this world to applaud every 'achievement' of theirs, why do you think they should bother with you at all?
Yes, they did introduce the VOLVO services to BIAL (as recommended by some Swedish agency), and then extended on to other routes (that they are losing money is another matter); they did invite Dr Ashwin Mahesh onto their advisory panel, and introduced the Big-10 services as per his suggestion; they did hear out the PRAJA team that met up with them so many times, and implemented a few of their suggestions; they did implement one or two suggestions made by the Commuter Comfort Task Force, that I co-chaired; and they had perhaps also implemented a few of the suggestions made by any number of advisers/ experts that preceded all of us. But, all through, it's been these marginal 'improvements', mostly to satisfy some vocal sections; never anything comprehensive. And, while that kind of an 'improvement' may satisfy, and in fact delight yesterday's bus user, if you want to get toady's car and two-wheeler users to come on board, it will require a lot more doing. And, I can't think of a government monopoly ever matching up to the task. So, in my opinion, very clearly, the answer lies here.
In the meanwhile, let me not dissuade you from piling up your suggestions (for BMTC), like the rest of Prajagalu have been doing from the time we started, about three years back. Like it says in the song - hum hoange kaamyaav, aeeeeek din - keep trying (and praying); it may happen one day, though very unlikely in my lifetime (unless by some miracle).
Incidentally, I went into the Hubli-Dharwar Municipality pavilion at the 'Municipalika' exhibition last Saturday, and met up with Special Officer, HDMC, in-charge of the show. Amongst other things, I asked him about his opinion on the "Bendre Nagara Saakige", the private bus services operating between Hubli & Dharwar. He was all praise for the service, and readily admitted that it was far better than that provided by the SRTC there. So, I asked him why are the people not demanding that they be allowed to operate in other routes also. He said he didn't know, but that perhaps they should. And, that was from a government official. When I asked him if I could quote him, he requested not to. Govt officials have a reason; but, what reason do Prajagalu and the rest of the world have?
pathykv - 4 February, 2011 - 12:30
One thing we should insist is that BMTC should form 'Commuter Forums' and meet periodically to get feed back. Then they should systematically implement the acceptable suggestions within a time line.
Though BMTC officials say this is happening, I could not get any concrete proof.
K.V.Pathy
ss87 - 4 February, 2011 - 12:48
One serious thing we require BMTC to do is first among everything else allott the stages properly and adhere to the norms of keeping a stage every 2 kms once and not 500 mts once as it is happenig now
The other major point that BMTC has to do is take feedback from customers. They can keep drop boxes at important bus stops and terminuses where people could post the suggesstions. A weekly/Bi-weekly review of the same must be done and the needs of the customers must be adhered too.
BMTC takes too many suggesstions frm too many agencies. First was the Trunk routes and Metro bus services which were discontinued later. Next came the Big-10's doing the ame job as what a normal BMTC bus was doing and the failed Ho-Ho conecpt. Then came over the special ones which were again unplanned-the specials copuld have been run in the peak hour mainly rather than the whole day. Dont know how long more BMTC is going to do the trial and error method.
One main thing BMTC must do is extend the services. Why still follow majestic/shivajinagar/market concept. And worse of all why should all buses from market to Hebbal run into and out of majestic instead of cauvery bhavan and Golf course route. If that had been done MBS-1 would have been a good success-many people didnt board for main reason it didt touch majestic.
Erstwhile BTS had a good concept. Though the buses were very few there was uniformity in the routes that ran-all routes had equal buses to maintain the frequency of a bus every hour and what a conectivity-Jayanagar-Vijayanagar, Jayanagar-Yeshvantapur, Jayanagar-indiranagar were all connected. Now many of them are missing. Out of the routes only 60A, 75,77B,are few buses which are still running. The old Bangalore routes can be re-introduced on modified routes Eg: 7D from banashankari via Jayanagar, Sanjay gandhi, Bannerghatta road, Mayo hall and indiranagar to Jeevanbhimanagar or 1 from Jayanagar via Corporation to Malleshwaram/Yeshvantapur , 23A from 3rd phase via Jayanagar, Shivajinagar and mekhri circle to Yeshvantapur etc atleast connecting the old bangalore localities well . it is not that they dont have sufficient buses- havent utilized the same properly.
Also the major point as pointed out by Mr. Sashikumar is the lunch time. General shift buses as well as Night halt buses go missing in ths period inconvineincing,. Why shouldnt drivers and conductors change over at stops itself instead of buses retuning back to depots-All bus stands have time keepers-collection can be handed over to them and he can deposit the same in the depot while returning after making a note of which route gave what collection
pathykv - 4 February, 2011 - 16:47
Simple Tips On Not Losing Balance in Buses And Subway Trains - Medindia News
http://www.medindia.net/news/Simple-Tips-On-Not-Losing-Balance-in-a-Buses-And-Subway-Trains-80366-1.htm
K.V.Pathy
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