Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation
I went to visit the BMTC website, and was pretty impressed with their iniitatitives to improve the bus services in Bengaluru.
Here’s the site:
http://www.bmtcinfo.com/english/
For many years, the bus services in this city were woeful, but recently, I find that a lot of improvements have happened; I often take buses now to other suburbs of Bengaluru (though not at peak time, alas!). The new Volvo services are also very comfortable.
However, I feel that a few more steps can be taken. One is definitely the fact that as of now, catching a bus is a hit-and-miss affair; there are no correct timing co-ordinates at all. One just goes and waits at a bus stop, and hopes..not a very organized way of travelling!
Another initiative that BMTC must take is to give specific names for all its bus stops in the City, and design a schedule page whereby a commuter can key in the beginning and the end stops into the page and the route to be taken, along with the time-table, will come up for reference. This would be extremely useful.
I am hopeful that with improved services from BMTC and with the new metro also coming in, we will have a marked decongestion of traffic in Bengaluru as more citizens opt for the convenience of public transport rather than the eco-unfriendly mode of private transport. In several other cities of the world, the availability of good public transport means that all sections of society use that and hence traffic congestion is eased.
Good work so far, BMTC! and good luck to your future initiatives.
Back in Feb, the Times of India reported on a facility for querying via SMS to find out where a particular BMTC bus was at any point of time. I think this service was available for only newer buses. I had blogged about it at that time and suggested the a more useful Google mash-up project idea for college students. You can get the details here:
http://blog.libranlover.net/2007/02/tracking-bmtc-buses-google-maps-mashup.html
While I agree with the suggestions, there are “bigger fish to fry” with BMTC.
Step number one for BMTC would be to invest in some driver training.
The BMTC drivers are the worst on the road, and consistently cause back-ups, delays, and dangerous conditions.
They stop in the middle of intersections, in the middle of the road, and sometimes don’t stop at all for passengers.
Step number two would be to invest in bus servicing. Too many buses have no working taillights. They never use turn-signals.
It’s hardly surprising to read weekly of another BMTC bus mowing down some pedestrians or two-wheelers.
Hi deepa, just come to Hosur road between Silk Board and Electronic City. You will see the beauty of BMTC buses’ gymnastics on the road. The traffic situation is getting worser day by day and the metro rail is not going to solve the problem. The real problem with Bangalore’s traffic is the totally inept and irresponsible state of traffic management. There are not enough traffic policemen on the roads when there is a gridlock. All are busy settling the traffic in and around MG road. Whether it is Hoodi, Marthahalli, Koramngala, or Madiwala, there is simply not enough traffic policemen to manage traffic during peak hours. Nobody cares about the hapless traffic wardens, as people know that they are the temporary staff and they do not have the authority to fine errant drivers. I have never seen such intense and sustained breaking of rules by people of all classes.