KSRTC is all set to start Bus Days in Mysore, they will announce firm dates and plans real soon. Their sister concern BMTC are passing all logistics related learnings from Bangalore Bus Days, and KSRTC is keen to take in input from all who care about public transport in Mysore.
As tempted as some of us at Praja are about offering help, it will all work much better of some Mysore residents come forward and form a Bus user or Bus Day feedback community to help/drive KSRTC. I am making this post to check if we have critical mass of readers from Mysore to create a Mysore Bus Day group here and engage with KSRTC.
If there is, then great. Even if not, please do pour in with your suggestions for Mysore Bus Day.
Note for Bangalore folks - Mysore is smaller, doesn't have as serious traffic congestions as Bangalore, so less incentive to use the Bus (only thing perhaps would be cost of petrol). Two-wheelers could be the "competition" for Bus. Also, unlike Bangalore, there aren't that many or that dense office areas (like ORR East, or ITPL, or E-City/Jigani, or Manyata Tech Park, Peenya) at Mysore. Right?
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hmmm, no one yet
no one yet. Looks like we don't have many Mysore PT lovers around here.
Prajagalu of yore
@SB - Perhaps you haven't noticed during your long sabbatical that Prajagalu have more or less given up on BMTC, or rather, trying to improve its services - check this. So, much so, even as the latest "bus day" came and went, with the minister announcing that he would now like to upgrade it to "bus week", there was hardly any mention of it all on PRAJA, where the concept originally took shape. So, is it any surprise then that there are hardly any takers for the Mysore project?
And, with no support for opening up for private participation either, looks like Prajagalu have resigned to their fate, ordained by the raajaa's, like the Prajagalu of yore - a sad augury:(((.
And, others are perhaps moving on to BMTC abhimaanigala sangha
Set Objectives!
My 2 cents.
Purely Hub Spoke Model of Mysore needs to be relooked
In Mysore, major problem is all the buses goes to Central Bus Station popularly known as City Bus Stand / CBS. For travelling to neighbouring areas, there is no direct connectivity. What we need is adding of routes connecting to neighbouring localities which are not in the path of routes connecting to CBS.
Say for example, Vidyaranyapuram to Kuvempunagar. One has to go all the way upto Siddappa Square to change the bus and hence no one uses bus to travel to Kuvempunagar. This will take 1 hr as opposed to 15 mins in private vehicle. In Bangalore too we have similar problem, but this is due to non-availability of road width. In Mysore, especially in extension areas, it should not be the problem.
Here is the model we discussed earlier in running buses in circular routes something like BMTC's Kendriya Saarige, Big Circle.
http://praja.in/en/blog/vasanth/2009/09/12/wastage-jnnurm-funds-city-busstand-rennovation
It would be nice if MCTC (new organization formed for Mysore City Bus expanded as Mysore City Transportation Corporation) starts services something of this sort.
KSRTC's goals, some suggestions
Syed - that is a nice list.
The goal of Bus Day event in Mysore for KSRTC shouldbe is to
I would suggest starting the Bus Day by recognizing a few routes as "trunk routes" and making "visible" difference on these (2 or 3) trunk routes on the Bus Day.
I don't have that much knowledge of Mysore PT volumes though, KSRTC has said they will share ridership data soon.
PS: @ murali. bus day did not "came and went". 20% more people take the buses, it increased awareness, and parallely, the volume of criticism and harsh feedback that reaches BMTC. NExt step could be to make them act. You have been on your rant for a decade now, with no progress at all, while a bunch of interested folks have done whatever they can to improve within the constraints of the system. Unless you start some tangible work - may be a detailed proposal on benefits of outsourcing Bus Services in Bangalore, or a PIL, your BMTC digs would only be seen as rants, pure rants. Repetition doesn't help.
Some data on Mysore, from KSRTC
Here is some basic data on Mysore Bus use. Have asked for more detailed data, I am sure they will share whatever they collect today.
So total 3 lakh daily passengers, and revenue Rs 22 lakhs at Mysore.
Hi all, am new to this forum.
Hi all, am new to this forum. I definitely agree with observation made by vasanth regarding the hub-spoke model.
Btw, found a (not-so) related article in TOI :
http://timesofindia.india...