Smile, BMRC, BMTC!
It feels good to know that the BMTC is gearing up to meet the challenge / opportunity that the Bangalore Metro is going to throw up.
It has conducted a survey to find out the perception of the “common man” towards the Metro. Though the sample size has been small – 100 commuters of city buses as well as students, office goers and home-makers – the survey points out several interesting things:
71% feel that the Metro will solve traffic congestion to a large extent.
84% feel that Bangalore will get an image boost once the Metro is functional.
On the financial aspects, 73% feel that the Metro will not just break even but also make a profit while 29% feel that, should the Metro make a loss, the government should bear it. Sadly, roughly half the figure feel that if the Metro makes losses year after year, it should be derailed.
As much as some of these aspects should gladden the BMRC, even the BMTC has reasons to smile. 74% of those interviewed feel that the BMTC will not be affected by the introduction of the Metro. The fact is, that a time has come when we should move away from thinking of these services as mere ‘transport’ and more as a well-oiled ‘system’ that has to deliver both in terms of services and profits. If Lalooji can turn around a mammoth organisation like the Railways, can’t the same be done for smaller services? And, for the record, the BMTC is considered to be one of the very few profitable public sector transport organisations! The fact that they run the Volvo services in Bangalore’s congested roads, nay, streets is a creditable feat!!!
Besides, both the BMTC and BMRC can create a synergy between themselves by launching feeder services. BMRC runs the metro, BMTC provides the buses that carry people to / from Metro stops. The fantastic concept of ‘Yelli Idhira’ can also be expanded to these feeder services for maximum convenience. Technologically speaking, both these organisations have shown themselves to be adept at adapting to change.
Anyway. The survey brings nothing but good tidings. On the financial front, BMRC need not worry. The real estate that they are in the process ( or is it completed?) of acquiring is a gold mine; one that will only appreciate manifold. A report published in the Economic Times last week pointed out that the DMRC (Delhi Metro) that “….for every Rs 3 that Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) earns by selling tickets, Rs 1 comes from property development.” Property development includes “renting out of shops, advertising, development of malls and housing, and setting up of IT park etc.” A DMRC official was also quoted as saying that the Hong Kong metro earns more than 35- 40% of its revenue from property development.
All my memories of travels in different Metro systems are only positive. As I keep saying, I’m the biggest fan of the Metro that’s coming to Bangalore. Its going to change the face of Bangalore and in the future, cause a paradigm shift in the way we commute within the city.
A further post coming up soon, with pictures! For my previous writeups on the Metro, click here and here!
:)
wow, looking at the picture i started dreaming about sitting in ‘Namma Metro’…
Thanks Ravi for the picture and the information.
Ravi,
Good one. You have lifted my hopes for Bangalore aka singapore!
@Rajesh: Welcome.
@Mohan: Thanks for reading and the comment. We can only hope that Namma Metro is even more profitable & dynamic than the SMRT, as BMRC being an SPV of the Govt., is run by professionals! Having said that, lets not delude ourselves in comparing ourselves to the Singaporeans either. The gap between us and them is a chasm that, unless there is a paradigm shift in our thinking and outlook(not to mention somebody of a stature like Lee Kuan Yew), it cannot be bridged. Singapore exemplifies an attitude to work and life which we can only DREAM of adopting & adapting! Sorry but i think with the trends that we are seeing, it is highly impossible in Bangalore and why, even India!
Cheers,
Ravi
now now where did ya get this survey scoop from?
this post had me grinning side to side all the way through, until i read that bombastic bit about somebody being the greatest metro fan. make way i say and i know of atleast one more kid who has as much enthu as i do :)
gimme free dissin’ bangalore to singapoor anyday and gimme the horse trading but ballot facing HDK to the autocratic Lee anyday.
Tarle avare!
The survey report was published in the TOI on the 3rd or 4th and sorry, there is no link to this report at their website. You’ll have to take my word for it! Game?
Cheers,
Ravi
@ravi
The reason why singaore came into picture was the joy of having ridden those there for many years and finaly the same is going to be up and running soon.
You are right when you point out India can never ever be near singapore – 200% right.
We need to scrap this democracy and install so called democracy aka singapore only then there is hope.
Ah Ah Tarle avare!
For Bangalore / India to really, really fast forward to the future with equal growth chances for ALL, we can’t have choices, can we? Have you read the news today that the EU Economy has been found to be 10 years behind the US? Where would we be?
Check this out: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/9ebc7f02-cb3e-11db-b436-000b5df10621.html
Ravi
@Mohan: Yup, the SMRT remains a fav. with me too! I love the inter-operability of their Metro and bus services using a single SMART card. Can’t wait to see it in Bangalore! Cheers, Ravi
thanks ravi for that link. this will take the discussion away from BMTC and BMRC. Srivatsa saar on Silkboard.wordpress urged a hub and spoke coexistence model. do you see any merits to that?
bhaartha, singapoora, america and airope,another discussion alva? (thank god nobody mentioned Dubai as the paragon of growth)
Good to see a healthy compitation between 2 travel corps…. More competation more benifit for the customers :-)