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Why I gave up on BMTC

Public Transport

[Kind of mirrors what so many members here think of BMTC - routing not right, slow, last mile hassle etc etc - here is a real user experience {blr_editor}]

Last week i resolved to try BMTC to commute to office - from BTM to CBD - Ulsoor Road ( or Halsooru Road). I had written earlier to Mr. Sheriff and Tripathy earlier on the pathetic treatment meted out to BTM residents - to no avail. There is not a single bus that runs from BTM to MG Road directly - convenient to travellers.

First - we have 201 and its variants - which are crowded by the time they reach BTM. Requests for a BTM - Domlur variant have been denied till date. Requests for a 'seating only' premium variant have been declined.

BMTC – Zones and Routes

Metro RailPublic Transport

This is not a solution but an attempt to spark off a debate to create a solution

I have tried to work out a method to organize bus travel within Bangalore. The inspiration for this started from London’s Underground – which is based on the concept of zones and lines. I have illustrated my idea of how Bangalore can be divided. It is a combination of the “Spoke” and the “Zone” concept.

Firstly I have divided Bangalore into Zones. Each zone will have one TTMC. See Fig 1 (Click to see original)

BMTC's airport service - experience

Public Transport

[Since's Goerge's experience got lost in talks of PPP, privatization etc, I am posting this in a new thread]

Got to use BMTC's Whitefield to BIA service yesterday. Went to Hope Farm junction in an auto, and noticed that there was a special board marking the BIAL bus stop. I was there at 1:35 pm, and as per the listed times, a non-A/C service should have shown up in a few minutes. Even though a non-A/C bus was parked about half a km back in Whitefield, nothing showed up. Waiting for the bus wasn't fun - strong sun, no shelter, and no paved surface to rest my luggage.

Imperatives of privatisation of power distribution

Power

The World Customers' Day was observed by BESCOM in its usual ritualistic style on Saturday, the 15th March by holding a workshop on 'Customer Care', in association with Public Affairs Centre (PAC), Swabhimana, Consumer Advocacy, and Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC). Of the audience of a 100 odd people, only some 30 were members of Civil Society groups (RWA's, etc), the rest comprising mostly of BESCOM officials. Seeing this, the chief guest, Dr Samuel Paul, Chairman, PAC, remarked that the poor turn out was perhaps an indication of the high level of satisfaction with BESCOM services.

[Announcement] Working Groups - our first one

Public Transport

Okay then. Time now to test ourselves, and the theory, that with a bigger pool (1000+ now) of members, we will have correspondingly bigger numbers for on-ground activities. Let us start our first "working group" (or WG) on Praja. Taking the window of opportunity offered by Mr Tripathy, and well aware that the subject is most popular thus far, the first WG will be on Public Transport. Before forming this group, let us figure out this generic concept of WG:

Municipal workers to fine traffic violators?

EnvironmentTraffic

Refer the news in papers today - "BBMP has warned residential and commercial complexes that don't allow visitor parking inside their premises. As per the byelaw, they must reserve 10% of the parking space for visitors".

Now, see this development along with an interesting news reported this week (source biz-standard): "MP Govt has created Urban Transport Authority which will make local bodies and traffic police work together ... fine collected ... will be used to raise funds for better traffic management, more parking space ... so far, the police used to deposit fines in state treasury".

30% Reservation for Kannadigas in IT jobs - What do you say?

Resservation for Kannadigas in IT jobs is an agenda for the JDS party as well as KRV. In a recent discussion in CNN-IBN, Kannadigas expressed it should be whereas outsiders said it as a ridiculous agenda.

One person said that Kannadigas has to come upto the mark and get the job and the education level in Karnataka has to improve!!

Mangalore Bangalore Train - Will it be canceled

Commuter RailPublic Transport

[Warning - still no source or reference for this development. So treat it as discussion, not 'news' in any sense. Anyone has a reference or quote, please provide one here - {editor}]

Its really a shocking news that the train from Bangalore to Mangalore will stand canceled from First of June 2008 as per the decision taken by the Railway board saying that it is non profitable.

Does anyone know that since the beginning of the said 6517 & 6518 trains, there is a minimum of 300 waiting lists of passengers. Then how can you say that it is not a profitable route. In order to make the people tired of the journey the trains reach the destination 2 to 3 hours after time. With this they want to make the people commuting on the trains be less and prove the fact that the route is non profitable. But please dont feel that the people of Karnatka are silent spectators. They will be aggressive once their morale is hurt. Dont try to put hand in lions mouth and try to count its teeth.

New e-procurement portal - transparency!?

I didn't know about this new e-procurement portal launched last year by the state government. Have a look here (site isn't setup right, watch the warnings). What should interest us most is "transparency". There is a section intended for "citizens", cool! But the citizen's page doesn't have much right now. A list of tenders is available, which shows up only two items. There is a news and information link too, but that leads to a third party commercial website.

Policing the Police

Governance

I was on my daily dinner routine. Happened to see this on-duty police person walking out of his official patrol van called ‘Hoysala'. He walked up to the cashier of this local restaurant, grabbed some money, and was matter-of-factly walking back. Not that this was the first time I saw such a thing - but, I don't know what became of me (perhaps Bollywood effect?).



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