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Feeder Routes as 'Branded' Service
Written By Srivatsava - 24 March, 2010
Bangalore BMTC Bus Local Shuttles suggestion Transportation public transport Bus Day Feeder Branding
One of the most publisied initivates of the BMTC last year was the intoroduction of the Big10 routes. On some routes, it was just a renaming of the route number, but it was always useful since it was 'Branded Service'. People anywhere can easily identify a Big-10 bus easily and a lot of people realise the routes that these buses ply on.
Another branding attempt from BMTC has been the 'Big Circle', for buses that ply mainly on the Ring Road. I happened to see a K-series bus on Jayanagar 30th Cross and this has been on Praja before. Vajra, Vayu Vajra and Atal Saarige have also been some other 'branding' attempts by BMTC.
For the two bus days (Feb and March), BMTC had made arrangements to run feeder services in select areas. Some of these are permanent in nature and not restricted to only a day in a month. There have been other feeder services (FDR1 to FDR-6 for the Uttarahalli/Chikkalsandra/BSK areas being one of the earliest). Why cant these buses be branded in a common way?
At first, branding may only mean a distinctive/common painting style for them. Later, there are tonnes of possibilities. A separate section in the BMTC website,a special bus timetable/diary, Ticketing Concessions (wait till e-ticketing/smart card is introduced??), Separate fare setting mechanism etc.
Why Branding for feeder services?
- Branding helps people identify the bus from a distance. It generates some level of interest and curiosity amongst people when they see the buses in the vicinity of their home or office. Isnt the best means of publicity?
- It demonstrates some level of 'longer term commitment' to the concept of feeders and trunk routes. BMTC wont be painting buses in a standard way, unless they are interested in running such feeder services.
- This helps people (ordinary users) understand the difference between the normal 'hub' method of connecting to KBS/KRM/Shivajinagar and the concept of feeder buses. Otherwise, people tend to see them as 'yet-another-route'.
- If the 'Branded feeders' become popular/useful (which I believe can happen very soon in the core-Bangalore areas), it will be easy for us to switch-over from the hub system to the feeder-trunk-feeder system. Ofcouse, for that to happen, a lot of work has to be done on creating 'interchanges' close to existing junctions!
What do you think of branded feeders? If we can convince BMTC, this should take a long time to come into realisation!!
COMMENTS
SB_YPR - 24 March, 2010 - 14:27
I was at Marathahalli Bridge a couple of days back and noticed a few buses numbered WFS-1 and WFS-2 (presumably for White Field Shuttle) operating from there at very regular intervals (every 15 minutes) - one clockwise and the other anticlockwise. Is this a new initiative by BMTC? Pranav/others, any details?
silkboard - 24 March, 2010 - 13:55
Hop on Hop off (hoho)
Local Sarige
BMTC Express
ChikChik
What else?
Different color, different nomenclature, but integrated ticketing. then we are set.
Srivatsava - 24 March, 2010 - 17:15
Manish, You were close!!
WFS - Whitefield Saarige.. these were introduced for bus day and have remained since then!!
SB, Integated ticketing is a far-fetched thought, isnt it? Thats based on the time it has taken for the route info to be back in the old format!!
What do you think on the common branding btw?
In the same frequency you have fDR operating between Jayanagar 4th block and Uttarahalli numbered FDR-1 and FDR-2 operating via Kadirenhalli cross-->banashankari-->jayanagar-->Banashankari-->Devagowda petrol pump and Chikkalasandra. Though many others were introduced numbering upto 7 others werent as popular and didnt pick up well.
SB_YPR - 25 March, 2010 - 16:57
What is required is an standard system showing clearly the Destination and the route.
Don't we already have that in the LED display boards? They are present on all new buses and will hopefuly be extended to the entire fleet in due course.
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