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Enough of Volvos - Use JnNURM Fund Rs.14,883 crores for sustainable, affordable transport facility
Written By Vasanthkumar Mysoremath - 5 March, 2013
BMTC JNNURM Volvo Review Vajra sustainable transport Karnataka public transport
/JnNURM funds for providing sustainable, economical and comfortable public transport have been used for construction of huge multi-storeyed buildings in the name of Traffic and Transport Management Centers/
/GPS/GIS systems installed are either not working or are found to be wasteful expenditure/
/Commuters wait in shelter-less bus stands in extensions and mofussil buses are not comfortable/
Union Budget 2013-14 has allocated Rs.14,883 crores under Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) city modernisation scheme for purchase of 10,000 more buses for urban city transport. This is a good investment but from the past experience, we find that JnNURM funds granted previously for procuring buses have been utilised mostly for purchase of hi-end loss making buses, for creating tangible immovable assets under the guise of providing Traffic and Transport Management Centers (TTMCs) through construction works and for earning income under "Other Incomes" than "Traffic Revenue" and for providing so called GPS/GIS real time information on arrival/depr of buses etc.
Example: Karnataka Government has claimed that it has completely utilised the entire amount sanctioned under the first spell of JnNURM funding under the head - public transport. But an efficiency-cum-performance evaluation of funds utilisation would reveal that the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (BMTC in Bengaluru and City Service of KSRTC in Mysore) has copiously indulged in utilising JnNURM funds for construction of scores of Multi-storeyed TTMCs that appear like some of the posh malls/multiplexes in the city but with congested bus bays at the ground level. Even portions of the ground floor area have been leased for Departmental Stores, hotels, bakeries, book stalls, petty shops, pay and use contracted toilets, etc., and KSRTC earns revenue through this real estate dealings under the head "Other Incomes". No doubt some money has to be spent for creating infrastructure for Depots, Workshops, Administration etc., but spending public money for creating monstrous buildings that create carbon footprints that result in climate change, global warming etc., needs prudent fiscal investment decision.
Buses run on roads, not on upper floors. Primary responsibility of monopolistic KSRTC urban/city transport system is to cater to the needs and requirements of commuting experience at affordable, sustainable, efficient and economical transport system to aam aadmi, who travels daily to reach his destinations and not for enjoying a 'picnic' at TTMCs or shopping at such mall-like infrastructure constructed with public money. He continues to suffer in silence at shelter-less bus stops under the hot sun.
Secondly, in the name of providing real time information about arrival and departure of city buses at bus stops through Geographical Positioning Information (GPS/GIS) systems, KSRTC has spent crores of rupees in fitting their fleet of city buses with sign boards and also in sheltered bus stops in extensions etc. Even after more than six months, in Mysore city, majority of these scrolling sign boards inside the buses are not functioning properly or if functioning, the announcements are monotonously noisy and are being termed as nuisance by the travelling public; the sign boards installed at some bus stops are only ornamental and are exposed to vagaries of weather and vandalism. Buses are arriving and departing as usual and people continue to wait with patience and have started completely ignoring these unpredictable GIS sign boards.
Bottom Line; Checks and Balances/terms and conditions for utilising JnNURM funds have to be tightened to ensure that the funds are utilised for purchase of commuter/disabled friendly buses for people and not for indulging in TTMC construction activities through which money can be siphoned off by compromising quality and quantity in civil works or spent for installing IT related unsuitable/useless gadgets.
Vasanthkumar Mysoremath
COMMENTS
Sanjeev - 11 September, 2013 - 12:30
Meeting details
http://jnnurm.nic.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Minutes-of-meeting-held-on-06.05.2013-1.pdf
Karnataka's presentation has hidden many facts of losses
Vasanthkumar Mysoremath - 11 September, 2013 - 13:44
@ Sanjeev, thanks.
A persual of the minutes at URL above clearly brings out how participants from Karnataka have sugar coated their presentation and how the OSD of the Ministry has advised other States to look up to emulate Karnataka experience. None of the reps from Karnataka have talked about the loss-making Volvos and other hi-end buses that are running almost empty (except in some corridors), how TTMCs were/are lying vacant and how many crores have been spent on providing useless GPS/GIS systems only to outsource and spend the JnNURM tranche.
What is the ground reality? An efficiency-cum-performance audit or an inquiry into the utilisation aspect of JnNURM funds by KSRTC/BMTC as socio-economic public utility organisations, would bring out the real truth. Imprudent investment, absence of public consultation that resulted in KSRTC turning out to be a loss making corporator entity from the only profit making company in India, all due to, can we say, JnNURM funding?
Vasanthkumar Mysoremath.
What's the issue? JnNURM Funds or its utilization?
kbsyed61 - 11 September, 2013 - 22:48
VM avare,
First of all the notion of profit in provisioning of public transport is flawed and nowhere in the world it is profitable. The revenue collection through charging fares will not even cover the operations cost itself. I am not sure if even the Non-Ticket revenue would make nay difference. But its contribution is seen in indirect ways. In domains like PT systems, all constituents/routes will not earn same revenue. Therefore expecting Volvos to make more money is flawed. But in BMTC/KSRTC context I would agree with you on their ways are meant not for public.
Volvos, TTMCs are not at all bad ideas. If BMTC/KSRTC had designed and operated well, it would have certainly helped the daily commuters. Cities like Bangalore definitely needs TTMC for interchange of transit modes but not the way they have been built. Some blame also goes to citizen's like us for not taking up this with authorities.
Regarding Volvos, I would certainly say the regular buses which are nothing but tin box is insult to even poor people who are 100% dependent on them. Problem is there is no in-between models suited for PT buses. None of the 2 big private players Tata and Leyland has come out with a decent vehicles meant for PT bus service that is economical comfortable and fuel efficient. I am yet to see any R&D in this area. The vehicles they build are meant for goods transportation.
It is another matter that ordinary people like you and me are treated like goods by our babus, politicians etc. :):).
JnNURM funds Volvo Ltd and associated lobbyists
xs400 - 12 September, 2013 - 06:47
The System is in a dilemma: A substantial amount of money has become available to address certain public issues; how to divert this to System Approved projects by appearing to fund solutions to the said public issues.
Solution:
1. Fund luxury buses at extortbitant prices; this will reduce number actual transport vehicles
2. Run these 'luxury buses' empty and at times of least demand
3. Subcontract them to favored institutions at below cost to transport people who already have their own transport
4.Build unusable structures
5. ...
VM and KBS have hit the nail on the head as usual.
We need a new yardstick to measure the value from every rupee spent. "Profit" is a statistic that hides a number of issues, I would recommend Praja to develop a "Paisa Vasool" measurment algorithm.
abidpqa - 14 September, 2013 - 13:14
One of the reasons for shifting engine to the back is driver comfort. Now, almost 10 people sitting in the back are over the engine. Corona design better takes care of passenger comfort.
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