Recce ride report - BMTC connects

Submitted by silkboard on 1 November 2011 - 11:19am

Lets keep this post for BMTC related observations from our morning ride. Noticed a few things during the test ride this morning.

vvr struggled to come to SV Road station as he had no way to find out timing or route information on BMTC feeders
Inside the Metro stations, absolutely no printed or displayed information on Feeders
Why just feeders, displaying all BMTC routes that touch a given station, that too would help a lot.
Saw a lot of Feeder buses in Indiranagar, Jeevam Bima Nagar on the way back from the test ride, so there seem to be a lot of them around. Just that there is no regular information available on them
There isn't much parking space available near the stations. Even Biyappanahalli - entrance from Old Madras Road side - the space where I parked can take no more than 50 cars or so.
No shaded bus stop right outside Biyappanahalli

All in all, given the lack of seriousness (at least going by the way things are right now), I think we will end up seeing lots of cribs and demands about car parking space around Metro stations. Unless we do something fast, The topic would quickly shift from Last Mile connects around stations to Parking space.

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Metro-BMTC connectivity - a study

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Some Pics

Submitted by silkboard on 1 November 2011 - 12:02pm.

Feeder near BYP. Why not bring the bus right at the entrance. If not that, a proper shaded bus stop?

BYP car parking, right near station entrance

ulsoor iniranagar has no space for bus parking

Submitted by Vasanth on 1 November 2011 - 1:15pm.

ulsoor iniranagar has no space for bus parking. It is better to have locally running buses instead of feeder buses.

shift regular bus stands..

Submitted by srinidhi on 1 November 2011 - 3:11pm.

In almost all stations on reach 1 the regular BMTC bustands are about 100-200mts away. I am sure it would really help if these bus stands are moved closer or into the metro stations.

For example, the SV road station can easily accomodate a drive-in bus stand for all busses..not just feeder shuttles..and so the stand near Byp, CMH rd & Ulsoor

This would be very covinient for all commuters who need to get to busses for their onward journeys..

Travel (or more appropriately travail) on the Metro Feeder

Submitted by vvr on 1 November 2011 - 8:21pm.

Story thus far…..

Due to inadequate information on the feeder services (the newspapers carried only sketchy info, BMTC and BMRCL web sites have no info at all), I had a difficult time getting to a metro station for this morning’s ride. I had made up my mind that no part of this outing was going to be on personal transport.

Continuing the saga of the feeder buses…..

After the ride from MGR to BYP this morning with other Prajaites I was keen to take the feeder back home for several reasons, the most important one being that it will provide me with a critical piece of information missing this morning when I set out for the adventure, i.e. exactly where in Cox Town to catch the feeder. I did know from the papers that I should be looking for BYP MF2.
Just minutes after I reached the bus bay at BYP, I saw a bus with the NM motif roll in. It had an old-fashioned display board that said “BYP MF2”. I thought I was living a dream when I saw the electronic display on the bus flash “Hoskote”. Apparently, electronics trumps low-tech and so the bus was indeed Hoskote bound.
A few minutes later an exact replica of the first one showed up and we now had two bound for Hoskote within minutes of each other. Surely this will make all Hoskotians at the bus bay deliriously happy but seeing that both buses left with no passengers on board, I thought what a missed opportunity.
Somewhat confused by the events, I approached a supervisor-type who was busily jotting down the comings and goings and anxiously enquired about my BYP MF2. He said not to worry, it will come, must be stuck in traffic somewhere.
About 15 minutes later, a BYP MF2 appears, the genuine article this time. I jumped on board, whipped out a 20-rupee bill and said “Cox Town”. The conductor helpfully suggested that I should look for BYP MF1. I call a meeting between the conductor and supervisor to settle this once and for all. The conductor’s views prevail.
Another 20 minutes pass before the next silver and purple appears. This time the bus conductor assured me that it is indeed going towards Cox Town, notwithstanding what the board says. After a 20-minute ride I got off at Cox Town circle and walked home feeling quite smug at having reduced my carbon footprint for the day. The commute from MGR to home costs me ~ 25 rupees and a total of an hour and a quarter including wait times (not including time spent with Prajaites discussing mods to the infra)
On reaching home, realized that it is a ladies-only luncheon and I was left to fend for myself for lunch. With my newfound enthusiasm for the metro, I was out of the house in a flash and headed right back to MGR while entertaining delicious thoughts of pasta at Pascucci that was literally minutes away. I walked to Cox Town Circle to catch the feeder and made sure I was at the correct stop by checking with a police officer on duty there and confirming with a local shopkeeper. After a 75-minute wait, I gave up and walked home hoping to dig into the leftovers from the ladies lunch. I felt particularly bad for a little boy who had waited patiently with his grandpa all this time. The metro ride was going to be a holiday treat for him. Hope he was able to get a ride.
I had resolved to leave my car home for all future trips into town. This may have to wait while the first and last mile connectivity improves.
The metro ride this morning, in and of itself, was very pleasant. The stations are very clean and functional, the metro cars as good as any I have seen.
As SB points out, the bus bay at BYP could have been designed better. They could have configured it like the ones at BIAL and thrown in some information boards. They could easily have set the bus stop back from OM Road since there is plenty of space available. I hope that some bright minds at BMTC are working on remedying the situation. Also, the integration with other modes (IR, KSRTC) at BYP is not quite seamless. Cost could not have been a factor since they have thrown so much money at the metro infra.

I did not want to trust the

Submitted by idontspam on 1 November 2011 - 9:44pm.

I did not want to trust the feeders etc considering it does not even service 3km well what chance have I of getting one in Hebbal. So instead of going for low carbon footprint I redced the area footprint by taking a 2 wheeler to MG road. Parked in church street & walked up to the station.

Chatted up the BMTC despatcher/supervisor along with Srinidhi & Sanjeev. He had with him a dot matrix printed green table with clear times on it. SO he HAD a timetable. I was curious why he didnt want to put it on for the public. No amount of prodding would make him reveal why he wouldnt put it on display. We could only surmise it was becaues the routes arent fixed & they are chopping & changin the routes dynamically on the fly + they are vary of committing to a time when they cant keep it up.

He did mention 121 AB or BB was connecting MCTC. The despatcher/supervisor on the ground is not aware of the decisions being taken back somewhere else. And going by Srinidhi's experience with the conductors/driver on the Bagmane shuttle they too dont have a clue what route to take. So lost in 2 levels of translation is the real planned route. Without a map the instruction to the driver/conductor is only cox town or BEML gate without a detailed map of what route to take where to stop etc.

MCTC connection is a good one, infact should be extended to other TTMC's like Jayanagar, Yeswantpur etc. During peak hours they could run it limited stop like maybe 5 stops for 121 AB (MCTC, Market, Corporation, Richmond circle, MG road)

All in all too much jugaad on the feeders for it to be predictable or even stabilize enough for people to depend on it.

The other noticable aspect was the overhead passage across the BYP station. It is planned & shown in the map but only steel rebars remain to show the incompleteness.

Seems toy ride!

Submitted by kbsyed61 on 2 November 2011 - 6:19am.

VVR,

Welcome back to Praja after a long time. As usual your posts really excites people like me. Reading other reports from IDS, Srinidhi, Vasanth and off course a detailed one from you, gives me an impression that without those strongly felt last mile connections, this would be nothing but a toy ride. It might server who live in those catchment areas in Indiranagar and Ulsoor.

Even if we have to just swallow this one with a promise of completion of Phase-1 by 2014, there has to be some game plan until that time. Game plan to enable other catchments to make use of this 3-Km ride. How?

Seems IDS has some interesting ideas.

BMTC rejigs feeder services!!

Submitted by srinidhi on 2 November 2011 - 7:33am.

@Sayed

Yes, its like a toy train..it goes toot toot as it enters stations and a visit to BYP looks like a visit to 'thomas and friends' land..sans the smoke!

Btw BMTC has gone in for drastic changes in the feeders..

They have completely dropped the service from the mid stations..CMH/Ulsoor/Trinity..which is actually ok!

more here http://www.deccanherald.com/content/201871/bmtc-rejigs-feeder-services.html

Promising routes in the DH

Submitted by idontspam on 2 November 2011 - 8:04am.

Promising routes in the DH article, but ITPL/KTPO is conspicous by its absence.While this small stretch of metro should not be forced to be useful to everybody in Bangalore, it can definitely become a very useful segment for certain section that pass thru the alignment area. If it can save for them time during the time of need then it will become a cog in their transportation wheel

So somebody travelling west to east for work commute will do 2 additional change overs to the metro provided his over all trip including this segment saves him on time, not just this metro segment alone? How can that be achieved? by making the bus segment also save some time.Right now there is no ROW for long distance buses so limiting stops is one way to save time. MCTC, YPR, Jayanagar are key catchments from the west. ITPL/KTPO/EC, ORR are key catchments to the east. Alternate buses with peak hour limited stops from both ends can be a success. 121 AB should market limited stops during peak hour & publicise its timetable.

Freeze on the strategy then chop & change the execution. BMTC cant be chopping & changing the strategy itself.

We have a ready example in Srinidhi who travels to MG road then takes train to BYP because a shuttle to Bagmane is available. Before this from OMR he had to fend for himself, so the metro has already proved a differentiator by providing a shuttle to an area where work commute is an inevitability. (providing they can get this to work properly). So if you can make him park in MCTC instead of coming all the way to MG road and then save his peak hour commute by providing limited stops you have got a winner.

Also, Indiranagar bus depot can be used to launch shuttles eastwards with SV road & BYP pickups.

Major observation as pointed out by SB & others is the information dissemination. It cant be hidden under your armpits, it has to be on a bullettin board inside the station right near the exit.

revised schedules

Submitted by silkboard on 2 November 2011 - 8:24am.

From this DH article:

route image here..

Submitted by srinidhi on 2 November 2011 - 11:54am.

btw it was mentioned that they have withdrawn feeder services from Trinity station..but saw one bus standing there today!

Will try the MF again in the next couple of days

Submitted by vvr on 4 November 2011 - 4:34pm.

Hi Syed,

I will try the MF again in the next couple of days. I am traveling again from next Tuesday and so I hope I am able to fit this in before I leave. I am determined to make the MF + "Thomas the Tank engine" aka the Metro as my preferred way to travel to the MG Road area. I think it will take a month or so before the routes get fully established. For now, as IDS says, the drivers are just winging it, taking the route best known to them to touch various points on the route.

I will try the MF again in

Submitted by idontspam on 4 November 2011 - 7:41pm.

I will try the MF again in the next couple of days.

You have started to swear at them now? :) Srinidhi had an interesting story today on how bad they are at even winging it.

feeder experiences..

Submitted by srinidhi on 5 November 2011 - 4:29pm.

Its been a sad experience of finding feeders from Byp to Bagmane and its worse while coming back to byp..I have managed to walk, hitch hike but have got the MF only thrice in the last 10 trips on the metro..on thursday my office friend who used the metro had a weird experience with MF's

myfriend asks a MF conductor at Byp: does this feeder go to Banmane?
conductor: yes
myfriend takes a seat in the bus
TC walks in with his ledger and asks my friend if the bus is going to GM palya.
Myfriend is confused and says the conducor mentioned that it is going to bagmane
TC requests my friend to call the control room number and ask about MF1 and MF2 busses whereabouts
Myfriend calls and the control room says those routes are withdrawn
TC is surprised that they have been withdrawn and he has no info about it

BMTC is totally disorganized with handling MF's..think that is by design as they dont want to do it anyways..very unfortunate!

"You have started to swear at

Submitted by vvr on 5 November 2011 - 5:58pm.

"You have started to swear at them now? :) Srinidhi had an interesting story today on how bad they are at even winging it." "

Funny! Completely inadvertent but also completely appropriate considering what I had to go through on Rajyotsava day.

I have managed to walk, hitch

Submitted by idontspam on 5 November 2011 - 9:17pm.

I have managed to walk, hitch hike but have got the MF only thrice in the last 10 trips on the metro

They are trying very hard to get you off PT & back into your car. No point if you come to MG road or Mys rd terminus, you still cant get to work. VVR will follow very soon.