One of the most publisied initivates of the BMTC last year was the intoroduction of the Big10 routes. On some routes, it was just a renaming of the route number, but it was always useful since it was 'Branded Service'. People anywhere can easily identify a Big-10 bus easily and a lot of people realise the routes that these buses ply on.
Another branding attempt from BMTC has been the 'Big Circle', for buses that ply mainly on the Ring Road. I happened to see a K-series bus on Jayanagar 30th Cross and this has been on Praja before. Vajra, Vayu Vajra and Atal Saarige have also been some other 'branding' attempts by BMTC.
For the two bus days (Feb and March), BMTC had made arrangements to run feeder services in select areas. Some of these are permanent in nature and not restricted to only a day in a month. There have been other feeder services (FDR1 to FDR-6 for the Uttarahalli/Chikkalsandra/BSK areas being one of the earliest). Why cant these buses be branded in a common way?
At first, branding may only mean a distinctive/common painting style for them. Later, there are tonnes of possibilities. A separate section in the BMTC website,a special bus timetable/diary, Ticketing Concessions (wait till e-ticketing/smart card is introduced??), Separate fare setting mechanism etc.
Why Branding for feeder services?
- Branding helps people identify the bus from a distance. It generates some level of interest and curiosity amongst people when they see the buses in the vicinity of their home or office. Isnt the best means of publicity?
- It demonstrates some level of 'longer term commitment' to the concept of feeders and trunk routes. BMTC wont be painting buses in a standard way, unless they are interested in running such feeder services.
- This helps people (ordinary users) understand the difference between the normal 'hub' method of connecting to KBS/KRM/Shivajinagar and the concept of feeder buses. Otherwise, people tend to see them as 'yet-another-route'.
- If the 'Branded feeders' become popular/useful (which I believe can happen very soon in the core-Bangalore areas), it will be easy for us to switch-over from the hub system to the feeder-trunk-feeder system. Ofcouse, for that to happen, a lot of work has to be done on creating 'interchanges' close to existing junctions!
What do you think of branded feeders? If we can convince BMTC, this should take a long time to come into realisation!!
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Local Sarige?
Hop on Hop off (hoho)
Local Sarige
BMTC Express
ChikChik
What else?
Different color, different nomenclature, but integrated ticketing. then we are set.
Whitefield Shuttles!
I was at Marathahalli Bridge a couple of days back and noticed a few buses numbered WFS-1 and WFS-2 (presumably for White Field Shuttle) operating from there at very regular intervals (every 15 minutes) - one clockwise and the other anticlockwise. Is this a new initiative by BMTC? Pranav/others, any details?
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Manish.
Whitefield Sarige
Manish, You were close!!
WFS - Whitefield Saarige.. these were introduced for bus day and have remained since then!!
SB, Integated ticketing is a far-fetched thought, isnt it? Thats based on the time it has taken for the route info to be back in the old format!!
What do you think on the common branding btw?
-Srivatsava V
FDR
In the same frequency you have fDR operating between Jayanagar 4th block and Uttarahalli numbered FDR-1 and FDR-2 operating via Kadirenhalli cross-->banashankari-->jayanagar-->Banashankari-->Devagowda petrol pump and Chikkalasandra. Though many others were introduced numbering upto 7 others werent as popular and didnt pick up well.
BRANDING
All these branding and jarring colours are too confusing and intimidating to the commuters.
What is required is an standard system showing clearly the Destination and the route. This will help the commuters to board any bus going their way without breaking their head about the 'brand'.
K.V.Pathy
LED Display Boards
What is required is an standard system showing clearly the Destination and the route.
Don't we already have that in the LED display boards? They are present on all new buses and will hopefuly be extended to the entire fleet in due course.
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Manish.
Destination boards
On Big 10 buses destinations and route info is not shown. Only those who ride them regularly may know.
What prevents BMTC to give this clearly in all buses?
Also the info should be shown at the entry side too.
K.V.Pathy
The same problem
It's the same old problem. How will I ever know which new routes or buses are introduced? I have been taking the bus for almost two months and I never knew there is something called K-1 service! (Not that I keep my eyes closed while travelling).I don't know how to make BMTC realize all their efforts to make more people use PT is futile if people find it difficult to get the information on buses/routes/services.
BMTc never seems to know that
BMTc never seems to know that only announcing the routes introduced will halp people travel in them. I heard about K service from people and then only cam to know this route after visting btis.in. Not everyone will know them. However at present btis.in is one place where we can seriously know the buses running the city.
The older LED boards arent much use. The new ones that are kept in JNNURM must be followed which clearly speicifes the destination and the route running under the same. Some new routes became a hit thanks to LED and hope BMTC introduces more such.
@Nl. srinivas: The K services were introduced just about a week back so no complaints against you fo not seeing them.
Branding Idea
Here is my idea for Feeder Services:
1. Brandname - Five5
2. The bus should connect points which are maximum 5 kilometers apart.
3. Bus Type : 20-25 seater buses (for e.g Tata Star Bus), slightly modified for wider doors and less seats near the door, for easy entry-exit.
4. Ticket price: Uniformly, Rs. 5/- (Thats why, the name Five5).
5. Operational mode: Routes can be decided by the BMLTA/BMTC but auctioned off to private players. Private players should run the bus with strict monitoring by BMTC (for e.g atleast 3 buses to dedicated to each route).
6. Route types : Since size of buses will be small and will be easily manoeuvrable, routes should cover inner roads and not main roads (For E.g. BTM 16th main road, Madivala-Maruthi nagar road etc). Route should be from inside a colony to the nearest big junction (from where longer distance buses/Volvo/Big10 buses can be taken). For e.g Vijaya Bank colony (Arakere) to Jayadeva Hospital Signal, BTM Layout 29th main road to Jayanagar 9th block.
6. Route numbering: Since the number of routes will be too many in Bangalore, distint numbering for all routes will be confusing. Just the destination boards in Kannada and English is sufficient. No numbering.
7. All buses should have uniformly same color.
8. More revenue can be realised by the operators from local area targetted advertising.
Advantages:
a. Last mile connectivity problem can be solved.
b. Every bus provides job to atleast 2 people. There is job potential for atleast 6000 people (rough estimate of 1000 routes * 3 buses per route).
c. Can be used as Metro feeder routes, in the future.
Ashok
Feeder Confusion
Hi,
I have noticed feeder service from Hoskote to KR Puram, its stattes as FDR. How many such feeders do we have in our city. This is miseading to the commuters. Some other nomenclature has to be adopteded is my suggestion here.
Sunil
Sunil Kumar
Good Idea.
Ashok and Srivatsava good idea and creativity.
Defintely branding will help the people identify where the bus reaches to.
Also bangalore is in urgent need of various seater bus to cater to all parts mainly the interior sections.
Just look back,,, we had PASS SPECIAL(green), WOMEN SPECIAL(PINK) and now the BIG-10, K and BIG CIRCLE in different colours.
We need LSS(Limited Stop Service) just like in Chennai. this will help the long distance or end to end passengers.
Let all the above special services be of lesser seating capacity so that cost factor can be maintained
Looking for the feedback