COMMENTS

Hi,

I am very much interested in joining this meeting.

• thumb_up 33 Likes
• · login or register to post comments

1. Connectivity plans after TTMC

2. Website upgrade

3. Bus Tracking by mobile phone

4. Recent news about BRT - More updates on that

5. Vayu Vajra - Why not alternative plans like mini buses when buses are running empty in few routes?

• thumb_up 32 Likes
• · login or register to post comments

Before we meet BMTC it is better to list out our suggestions to them.

K.V.Pathy

• thumb_up 30 Likes
• · login or register to post comments

Pathy avare/ Manjari avare,

I wish I could make it from Mysore.

U R right. Otherwise, it will be a meet without meat. It is better if sufficient time is given to BMTC to give deliverable solutions so that it can be posted on praja and valuable time can be utilised for solutions to problems with a futuristic ambience on transport. 

- if problems affecting majority commuters can be discussed  - a number of prajas have posted highly relevant points on various problems being faced by all class of commuters;

- http://praja.in/blog/vasanthkumar-mysoremath/2009/07/26/stratified-bmtc-service-making-profits-with-deficient-servic

- Many prajas wanted stats on running of volvos, mercs, macropolos etc., and this is an opportunity to get them from the horses mouth and also ascertain the exact figures for the past 3 years

- During the meeting, it would be better if a laptop with internet connectivity is carried and Prajegalu can make an impressive online presentation of Prajas concern about the city's transport problems etc.

- if it is possible, many similar problems of ordinary commuters in Mysore may also be discussed although the present one is on BMTC.

However, to make it easy the following may be of help and finally points that are worth may be cut and pasted as questions::

BMTC has of late adopted a highly stratified approach in discharging its social obligation in providing efficient service at economical rates to the commuters; its profits have soared because the most of the time the engines of the fully loaded or overloaded buses are switched off at most of the traffic hold ups - their failure and inefficiency in keeping up the running time and fulfilling the prescribed running schedules are open to examination and must be subjected to an indepth audit to reveal the anotomy of BMTC's profit making methods.

Ordinary Buses:

Most of the ordinary buses catering to the majority of the commuters are unkempt,

window glasses are either broken or dirty and untouchable with dried vomit sticking on the glass panels, on the floor and outside the windows,

floors are not swept and lots of dirt keeps circulating inside the bus endangering the health of commuters and creating allergic conditions,

drivers seat and his area of operation are despicable,

first aid box does not exist or if it exists, is either empty or god knows what is inside,

poor visibility of name boards, front board shows a destination and the back board shows some other destination,

name board does not have a proper light,

lighting inside the bus is very dim and we have seen conductor struggling to remove proper change from his bag or to make entries,  

most of red board buses running on mofusil routes are old rickety buses that rattle and make horrible sounds,

they are withdrawn periodically to the workshop to get a fresh coat of paint over the peeling paint only in the interiors,

 those who are sitting in the front seats have to breath the unhealthy hot air that escapes through the poorly fitted rickety covers of the engine bonnet,

the list could be long.

Pushpaks: They are an apology to the name; only difference between ordinary and pushpak is their color is different but seats are almost the same - torn and patched here and there.  They also suffer from maladies -

Pushpak's  2+3 seating arrangement has no place for standing commuters, but most of them are run  on busy routes to capacity and ordinary buses are drastically reduced - clever examples:  trips to Bannerghatta National Park - it is either volvo or pushpaks or other semi-luxury type buses charging higher fares,

commuters are paying for maximum inconvenience and deficient service; one cannot be sure whether they will be able to keep up an appointment. 

Heavy investments are being made to cater to a miniscule class of hi-end commuters; Volvos are still running to less than half their capacity and reports keep appearing that the daily loss from Volvos is reaching a peak. But more and more such hi-end buses are being delivered at BMTC depots.

Information on numbers may be asked:

1. Was a due diligence survey conducted for projection of load, optimum utilisation, break even, before purchase orders placed?

2. Numbers (different luxury makes only) 

 approved, 

orders placed,

delivered,

nos on road, 

total cost,

idling,

gross/net income derived for the past 3 years,

number of pending orders, 

whetherJnNURM funded or from its own funds, 

if incurring loss, why can't fresh orders be suspended, if not, why not?

is any reliable data available to quantify the benefits accrued by running such luxury buses - like reduction of cars etc., on road? If so, figures thereof, if not, why not or what is proposed to be done?

is atal service a success?  

Big 10 is another service ever introduced by a service provider in the social sector without proper planning and survey. These buses are supposed to cater to hi-end customers who have not even glanced at these ornamental toys provided to them at the cost of sweat and blood of the common commuter who is languishing to get back home as early as possible but there are no buses.

Enough is enough. Stop pampering the hi-end customers with Volvos etc., because they would prefer to travel in their fleet of cars even if it matters that they will be behind a Volvo to the same destination.  It is a matter of egoism for these 'haves'.  Given an opportunity, all of them blah, blah, blah on public platforms but does not bother to practice what they preach. Their vehicles are the guzzlers of most of the fuel and they are the culprits who emit maximum per capita CO2 and create carbon footprints of the highest order.

In the name of reducing vehicles on the road, achieving fuel economy, control of green house gases, climate change, global warming or global dimming, the common man is being put to maximum hardship with minimum services.

It is time for BMTC to go back to basics, look at the common man as their bread and butter earner, fulfil his needs and aspirations of efficient and economical travel, do not show off empty ornamental buses that makes you bleed, try to give maximum comfortable travel facilities to all without stratification between 'haves' and 'have nots'.  Give him proper bus shelters with enough information system through LED boards, do not encourage, even if it is PPP, A/C bus shelters, instead, use the money to provide some drinking water facility etc. at bus stands.

I have a travelling experience of more than 50 years in BTS/BMTC and that is my qualification for this postmartem.    

- Vasanthkumar Mysoremath, 9845950440

- vasanth mysoremath

• thumb_up 37 Likes
• · login or register to post comments

I am keen to join.

K.V.Pathy

• thumb_up 46 Likes
• · login or register to post comments