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Hello All,

@ Mr. Mahesh..about AC buses sporting Big10 stickers - do you mean to say that Volvo services currently running most of its distance along Big10 services will sport Big10 stickers - that is services like those to ITPL/KR Puram? 

BMTC recently introduced Volvo services along Route Number 368 (Shivaji Nagar-Bannerghatta National Park). The services are operated by Depot-13 (Kathriguppe). The most interesting part of this service is that there is NO awareness about one such route. No newspapers reported introduction of one such route. To add more salt to the injury, the first bus from Bannerghatta leaves only 0930 - after ALL offices around MG Road begin functioning. Similarly, the last bus from Shivaji Nagar leaves at 1630 itself - much before people can even imagine leaving office. On paper, however, the last trip from Shivajinagar is at 1750: But in reality, this bus goes on Route 13F to Banashankari-Kamakya from Shivaji Nagar! This service seems to have been introduced for fail. Instead of being scheduled at times where passengers will be benefited, the bus has been introduced in a pattern that the operating crew are benefitted!

About MBS services: There is one MBS service along Bannerghatta Road: MBS13. The bus is operated by Depot 25 and Depot 10 (three buses each). The first bus leaves only at 0800 from either ends, while the last bus invariably leaves either ends by 1700. The immediate need is to have services much beyond the conventional 0800-1700 hours. Buses need to start very early, and should go on till late night. AND, it should be ensured that ANY of these branded buses (be it MBS or Big10) should NOT be used on any other service.  Using them on other routes only dilutes the "brand image" that you create for each service.

The end terminus for Big10 services are just disappointing. The connectivity from St Patricks is really bad, unless and until KS services expand to more routes. Passengers like me are likely to snub these services, and crowd the conventional buses more. A very important point that is being missed here is the validity of passes. If the main aim is to shift passengers from Cars/Bikes to Buses, then these services should be made to terminate at convenient places, and should ideally originate from places where there are huge residential apartments. Dedicated bus stop shelters can be built, but the corporation should ensure that the drivers stop at the bus stop properly and not anywhere they like. 

Big10 services should ideally be run through to the other side. I will surely try to take these buses while coming back from office - while going to office, the logistics really does not work out - the bus would terminate at SPC, and then I would either have to walk down about 1.5km to my office in Lavelle Road, or then wait for ever to get another bus to Lavelle Road (St Marks Road is where the stop is located).

I am sure there would be more passengers is another KS is run: Richmond Circle-SPC-St Marks Road-MG Road-Shivaji Nagar/Indian Express Junction-Stadium/MG Circle-Museum-Mallya Hospital-Richmond Circle

The number of passengers traveling from Shivaji Nagar side to Corporation circle is also tremendous. I suggest that a kind of ring route be operated with normal buses on this route: Corporation Circle-Museum-MG Road/Anil Kumble Circle-Indian Express-Stadium/MG Circle-Mallya Hospital-Corporation. This would not be ideal for a Volvo - but then services like a MarcoPolo would be good, or even Suvarnas would do. 

The MOST important aspect that needs to be looked into is the timings. The first bus should leave earlier - atleast by 0630 and the last bus should be around atleast till 2200. Many colleagues in office "ditched" buses and got their own two-wheelers since buses terminate much before 2000. And there is no way they could reach home if they had to stay back in office due to work.

In my own case, my office reporting time is 0730. But, I had to have a one-on-one with the management to get my reporting time changed to 0830, since buses on BG road do not pick up steam that early in the morning. The only services run are buses to Market, which mean I have to change three buses to reach office. The first bus to Shivaji Nagar from BG Road is MBS13, which leaves Arakere at 0800 (often leaves at 0755). I have to leave office by any chance by 1730 (thereby I remain unavailable in office in any emergency) since the last "direct" bus goes past my office at 1740. If I miss this bus, I again have to change three buses, which is not something that I would wish to do.

The main point being highlighted here is that the first bus should leave ideally by around 0630 and the last bus should be around till 2200.

The first bus on Big10, AFAIK, leaves at 0730 and the last bus at 2130. Please correct me if I am wrong.


Now coming to an unrelated to aspect:

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Does the KS ticket allow me to change over to other regular BMTC bus for last mile connectivity?

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not sure where that number is coming from - here are the ones I have.

- 9 Volvo buses in each direction for Kendra Saarige

- 16-20 Suvarna buses for each of the major Big10 roads, maybe fewer for Bannerghatta and Tumkur Roads which share stretches with other Big10 roads (Hosur and Bellary Road respectively).

A

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Looks like a nice start, but I think the point made by prkamath is valid. PT is a great equaliser and having som many different classes of buses is unhelpful.

Ideally this ought to be expanded region wise - London uses a concentric circles approach. I can get a zone 4 day/week/month/quarterly/yearly pass and use it in zone 4 as many times as I want.

There are other options and I have suggested this one in Pune http://better.pune.googlepages.com/pune_zoning.doc 

But on the whole this is the right way forward.

ASJ

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Hello everyone, I looked through the messages about Kendra Saarige and Big10 on Praja, and thought i'd respond briefly. (Pls understand that my comments are my own, and not the government's or ABIDe's position, necessarily).

1. The effectiveness of the grid becomes apparent only as significant portions of it get built. I think that once there is a steady stream of Big10 services connecting to the core areas, and this is complemented by (at least two) ring services, as well as neighbourhood saariges, we will have an intuitively understandable bus system based on recognisable buses, predictable and reliable frequencies, and increased comfort. It will take, in my estimate, about 3 months to get al the Big10s out, and institute ring services as well.

2. If the rationalisation of the grid is achieved, we may (should?) be able to bring higher comfort to more people at affordable prices. The road map for the major elements of the grid is in place, and BMTC is working hard to roll out the branded fleet as quickly as possible (painting, depot assignment, programming LED boards, data procedures, promotional literature, etc are all happening in parallel, and I am optimistic about this). I hope you will all choose the bus, and show your support. I will try to write in every few days with an update, and if some of you can (and want to) help with specific things, that would be very nice. We need all the hands we can get to make this happen in a nice way.

Finally, I want to say one other thing. Over the last few months I have worked closely with people at BMTC, virtually at every level, and am both impressed and assured by their commitment to a quality product for public good. There are certainly issues to be sorted out (especially on the in-house capacity on various fronts) but I think we can get there, with your support. We should all be able to look back on 2009, and say 'we did something important here', not only for Bangalore, but for the way urban mobility in understood and managed in India itself.

Thank you.
Ashwin

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