Yes
55% (6 votes)
No
45% (5 votes)
Total votes: 11
Instead of BMTC, if TVS/ TATAs were providing public bus transport services, would you switch to using them?
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read this before voting
1) set up a comprehensive web-site detailing out their operations, based on professional demand assessments,
2) run comfortable and clean buses, with destination boards clearly written in Kannada as well as English,
3) have courteous conductors who don't short-change you, or foul-mouth you if you don't speak Kannada,
4) provide the "Yelli Iddira?" service so that you track a bus and reach the stop in time to catch it, rather than waiting indefinitely not knowing when or if it will come at all,
5) provide skeleton services between 10 PM and 6 AM;
would you then not choose to leave the car at home and take the bus? Answer - Yes/ No
If the answer is a big YES, and if the government facilitates the process by disincentivising use of individualised forms of transport through measures such as
1) levy of congestion charges in crowded city centres,
2) barring of entry in narrow road stretches, during peak hours, etc,
the buses will be able to travel faster, helping them make more trips, and thereby improve their revenue earnings. This will then go on to improve riderships, providing further boost to the revenue earnings, thereby motivating them to improve their services.
If you ask, "why can't this happen with BMTC?", my answer is "it will perhaps happen once there is effective competition; but, not without it". And, when that happens, it will be win-win scenario for all concerned.
For more, click on:
http://praja.in/blog/mura...
Muralidhar Rao
choice
I am not bothered with Tata or TVS or BMTC, but good service
I don't bother if it is Tata or TVS or BMTC, but good service with aesthetic buses and courteous drivers and conductors with a fairly good network.
I am strictly no no to the colourful buses that ply on Hour road or Banashankari bus stand nor the mangalore styled service.
I put a no
Sorry Murali sir, but the poll is a bit too straight, with conditions unclear. So to the question you have asked, I put in a no.
I am not convinced that TATAs or TVS or RajNationalExpress like folks guarantee good service quality levels. Service quality levels are a function of enforcement and monitoring, which would come from a transportation regulatory body. If consumers get the right to demand quality service, and take service provider to court for delays or lack of safety or more, I think BMTC or KSRTC itself may do the job.
Having competition increases the chances that service will be better, but given the Airtel vs BSNL wireless experience, the difference may not be that much higher.
If you reword the poll as - if BMTC as well as TATAs operate buses in Bangalore, will you still use BMTC? It will be interesting to see answers to this question. Most may say I don't care, which is reality as many don't care to pick between KSRTC or a private bus when heading long distance out of Bangalore.
Yes, with some cautions
I have said yes on the basis of corporate work ethos having a positive influence (I know we can have many examples of private enterprises with poor work ethos, but generally they are better than public sector undertakings).
My big worry and reservation is because of what is happening to US healthcare system today. 15% are not insured in US (costs can be as high as $5k per year in premiums). I have followed this closely, and the pathos is in private insurance companies making big profits (for their share holders) and putting very little back in to the system for benefit of the masses.
The same can happen here, Tata's or other private enterprises will always keep their interest higher than of that of average commuter.
We need Govt authority regulate and competitive bids to get private enterprise to operate the service. This means some of the profits will come back in to the system. Also like UK, a company can be fined heavily for failures with regards safety and standard of service. Indeed, no company can take things for granted as every 3 years fresh bids must be invited. This keeps the service provider on their toes.
Tata's or anyone else will also not stop from modernisng the service. This means automation, which can mean job losses. I hope there is regulation to allow reforms without job losses (for example with use of smart cards in UK, conductors are a history, huge savings in terms of overheads - but we need to find ways to absorb / retrain rather than chuck good old conductors out - helplines, ticket checkers, commuter surveys, etc).
ASJ
www.driving-india.blogspot.com
conditions unclear
my response
As for getting BMTC to improve its services, like I have been stating ad nauseum, I'd like somebody to get them to as much as just have the bus destination boards displayed properly - forget route rationalisation, "yelli Iddira?", bilingual destination boards, courteous staff behaviour, safe driving practices, etc, etc. Check -
http://www.praja.in/banga...
Dr ASJ - Perhaps you have not read my original 'policy paper' on this. Please click on: http://praja.in/blog/mura.... Regulation has to be there, and we already have the BMLTA in place, which of course needs to be properly empowered.
Your anxiety based on how the US healthcare system has evolved is perhaps well founded. But, that's where we all have to contribute towards the process of regulation. I would also like to invite you to visit my personal blog on the present status of the healthcare (less) system in Karnataka today:
http://health-careless.bl...
As for the job losses with modernisation, it's the same situation as when computerisation was introduced in banks. What we should aim is achieving higher productivity. With the resulting buoyancy in the economy, you will have ten new jobs in place of the one made redundant. Here, I would like to invite you to visit http://praja.in/blog/mura....
Mithun - TVS/ TATAs are not in direct competition against BMTC today. But, if you are saying that you can differentiate in the way the private sector players, of the stature of TVS and TATAs, respond to customers only after they are pitched in direct competition, perhaps you are the one who is prejudiced.
Muralidhar Rao
Murali - slight difference
I said no to the way you had put in your question. There is slight difference between competizing and privatizing. Privatizing BMTC is different from allowing private players to compete with BMTC, which IMHO is the better option. Not that you don't know this, you certainly do. But the way you worded the poll (starting with "instead of BMTC ...") does not get your right intent and message through.
Competetion for BMTC will get them to improve, and I am sure they can. That is why I gave the BSNL example. I don't find that big a difference of quality between Airtel and BSNL (wireless). Overall experience with BSNL DSL line is in fact almost better than Reliance (I have both - Reliance is yet to give me a right bill, and BSNL is yet to bill me wrong, and downtimes are kind of similar).
The message has to be competition (or competizing, the new phrase). That will find buyers. But "instead of BMTC ...", or "privatize BMTC ..." isn't the best line to lead with.
yes, competition - the answer
All the same, I would like to maintain that government should eventually get out of the 'player' role since otherwise it has an adverse impact its more important 'regulator' role.
Like what you stated about BSNL, my wife's preferred service provider is Indian Airlines (mine is Kingfisher because they have prettier stewardesses :))) - whatever, I don't travel much these days). If IA service has reached the present competent levels, it has come about only because of competition. Similarly, BMTC can improve only, repeat only, if there's effective competition.
Muralidhar Rao