BMTC will soon be building close to 50 new bus stands at various points in the city which will offer state-of-the-art facilities like bus bays, canteen and waiting halls along with commercial space. This was announced by Transport Minister R Ashok at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Mallasandra and Hessaraghatta bus stands in the city on Thursday.
Ashok also announced that there is a plan of installing Global Positioning System (GPS) technology with cameras in KSRTC buses which could then operate with two drivers taking turns instead of a driver and a conductor.
“There is also the possibility of building a model bus stand which would accommodate BMTC, KSRTC and private buses in Kalasipalya if the BBMP agrees to sell the land to us,” he said adding that the area currently was in a ‘mess’.
The bus stand at Mallasandra will be built over an area of 2 acres with an estimated cost of Rs 7 crore while the Hessaraghatta stand will be built on 18 guntas of land with an estimated cost of Rs 70 lakh.
For the full report in the New Indian Express, click here.
Now that the minister's TTMC's have won an award (check this), even in the face of all the criticisms from the public (check this - but, do Prajagalu count as the public?), there's no stopping his megalomaniacal pursuits, I guess. And, for all the huge funds spent on erecting these ugly structure across the city, most of which are lying empty, if BMTC is still recording huge profits, it must perhaps be engaging Ramalinga Raju (of Satyam ill-fame)'s accountants.
Further, the minister's plans for his BMTC (it's almost like his fiefdom) appear totally independent of what the so-called experts at TAC may want to pursue. Apparently, TAC is for public consumption; he'll do what he wants.
Muralidhar Rao
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Comments
TTMC's are just delaying buses and wastage of JNNURM funds
Improperly built TTMCs are just delaying the buses and also decreasing the number of trips and thereby BMTC's throughput. This is an example of Banashankari TTMC. It is causing nearly 20 minutes delay for the ORR buses in just entering and exiting.
In Mysore also, same TTMC problems. They have constructed in Satagalli, RS Naidu Nagar and Kuvempunagar. In Satagalli, as of now, not even a single bus enters. Just to delight the people and the real estate brokers who increase the site prices in the nearby localities in the name of Bus Stand. Cities like Mysore lack frequency of buses. Instead of unwanted bus stands, they can have more buses as discussed here
Mr. R.Ashok will soon have it in Uttarahalli too, his constituency, where he is building his own Engineering College to have a boom for real estate nearby. Nowadays,most of the buses from Banashankari to Kengeri are routed via Uttarahalli Main Road instead of Outer Ring Road.
And Irony - There are no good bus-stops on the ORR etc
The irony is that, we don't have good bus-stops, or just enough sheltered bus-stops for people travelling on the ORR, lot of volvos and other buses are plying, many people are using buses leaving their vehicles at home, and no proper bus-stops for them. They have to stand on the traffic lanes, risking their life, no shelter from rain or sun, first fix these and then think about bigger bus-stops.
BMTC
The funds should better be utilised for purchase of Mini Buses as has been recently done at Chennai to negotiate narrow roads and serve last-mile connectivity.
K.V.Pathy
simple structures for existing bus stands, better use of money
This has got to be stopped, unless there is a plan to first provide well signed, simple structures as bus stands everywhere. We noticed how the bus stops were ton down, built again etc.
Basic amenities first, and "money spinning" ventures later. How do we put stop to more TTMC like ventures?
A meeting with BMTC just to understand the current stand and situation on erecting basic bus stands all around should do good.
If someone can manage a meeting with our minister, that would be good.
Call this innovative, Sir???
Perhaps, BBMP should take a leaf out of BMTC. BMTC managing director KR Sreenivasa said: `It was an innovative idea conceived by the previous managing director to utilities the commercial potential of the land, where the TTMCs would be built, than just having a bus depot. BMTC then came up with the idea of creating passenger amenities using the spaces available and renting other spaces in the upper floors of the buildings to avail commercial benefits from the public infra created for public use. No other city or state transport corporation in India has come up with such an idea and it is the best way to create public infra and capitalize from the investments made on that.’’
For the full report in the ToI, click here.
Resulting out of this, however, hundreds of buses which were earlier parked inside the Koramangala depot premises, are now parked on the adjoining "Games Village Road" (with the space inside having yielded to the newly-constructed TTMC), adding to the clutter on the even otherwise cramped and busy arterial road. The irony is that the TTMC, though inaugurated almost a year back, still lies mostly empty.
And, as for passenger amenities, the passenger comments posted above, tell their tales in themselves.
Is this the kind of development we want?
They are mad
What is this obsession with service departments becoming revenue focused. Who will take these madmen to task?
I recently read a report in the TOI here in Bombay that the RTO was falling short of its car registration targets! Who sets these targets? Based on what?
Drive safe. It is not just the car maker which can recall its product.