Recently, I had been to Ramnagara/Channapatna area for some work. Ended up having about an hour to kill so decided to check out the KSRTC bus stand at Channapatna. What else do you expect from Praja members !? Anyway. Writing this post to share my positive surprise at witnessing a super clean and well organized bus stand. No jokes, good old HAL airport used to be a lot more dirty than what I saw. Also, I would guess that Channapatna station would handle about 40-50% of the passenger volume HAL airport handled during its peak days.
It just left me thinking - what is different about this bus station? Its new for one. But not so new, about 5 years old I am told. That is long enough period for things to get dirty unless they are maintained well. One noticeable thing was absence of "unorganized vendors". All stores and restaurants were housed inside regular building. So, things like water leaking or litter originating from adhoc dosa or chat stalls type things wasn't there.
What else? I am guessing it would be something to do with the way KSRTC maintains the bus station - is the maintenance and upkeep outsourced to a private party!? I want to check.
Or may be I just landed up on a day they had their annual maintenance and clean up done. Doubt that one though.
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Nice transformation
Sweet!!! Ample seating areas, fans to keep ones cool. Add clean toilets and drinking water facility and it is good enough. No need for hugely expensive granite tiles etc. Constant cleaning and dust bins we can transform this county with these basics. It would be good if they added some signboards displaying departure times next to each bay using simple LED displays.
More pictures
at this SkyscraperCity link. Indeed impressive - shows that the people using the bus stand are mature and responsible enough not to litter. The front facade could be a little better, though.
Ramanagaram KUIDFC bus stand-lakhs spent-idlling since 5 yrs
SB Sir,
While your observation is good and the neatness of the recently inaugurated bus stand at channapattana (JNNURM funds?) is appreciable.
The frontage gells with the rural scenario and Channapattana known for its beautiful clay / wooden toys, has the finishing touch of sloped roof and the resembles the clay roofs of the city.
Did you notice something on your way back?
i wish you had also observed on your way back, a deserted structure called Bus Station on the outskirts of Ramanagaram, before you reach the market area/present KSRTC Bus stand.
It was financed and constructed by KUIDFC under infrastructure development projects head - In those days NNURM wasnt born .
Even after 5 years - IMHO - of its completion it is not being used by anybody and has locked up lakhs of rupees of public money.
No asker/No teller?
- Vasanth Mysoremath
Lets become the asker by filing RTI!
VKM sir,
Thanks for highlighting the Ramanagaram Bus stand.
I think we should not wait for some body to be asker and teller. Lets become the asker. Now we have the tool called RTI. Let use it for the role of asker. Let me know if you need any help in filing the RTI.
All we need is to find out who is the responsible authority for this and who is the concerned RTI officer for that authority. I think It could be KSRTC. You may file with KUIDFC also to ascertain the quantum of money spent etc.
clean toilets too?
Add clean toilets and drinking water facility and it is good enough
But, SB's report didn't mention toilets. The first thing that came to my mind on reading the report was to check with SB on this specific matter, which in my opinion is the ultimte yardstick by which you measure a public building. And, where most fail, and miserably, too.
So, how did the Chanapatna station fare by this yardstick, SB?
Bangalore Mysore buses stops here for coffee break
Few Bangalore Mysore nonstop buses stop here for coffee break. It is far better than the Maddur Bus Stand. In Maddur, KSRTC has leased out land to a restaurant called 'Kashyap's'. For this lobbying, even Volvos (Airavathas) which cover the distance in 2 hours were made to give stop here killing the passenger's time. People complained including me by writing in Star of Mysore and Airavat stopped giving coffee break. Rich and the upper middle class usually take Airavat, but a normal citizen will take Airavat when he has to travel urgently. Unnecessary coffee break for 2 hours journey was killing the time. For normal buses which is used by Most of the travellers, since the travel time is 3 hours, a coffee break is needed.
Although maintained cleanly, Kashyap at Maddur was charging heavily with 8 rupees for coffee in the eat-out kind of restaurant compared to Rs. 6 in restaurants of its class. KSRTC drivers then started taking the passengers to Maddur bus stand or Channapatna.
Toilets ...
Were in okay shape, though I only took a look, didn't use. Thought about taking a picture but better sense prevailed - imagine what toilet users would have done to me if I was caught taking any pictures :)
My curiosity is simple - how come this bus stand is in better shape than others. VKM sir - thanks for pointing out other informative stuff, but do share if you have answer to the only question I raised on this post.
Also - why do you have to write to Star of Mysore if you have a complaint about KSRTC? Thats an odd reality we all face today. And sad, that we don't think of service provider first when lodging complaints. Just pointing it out thats all.
Maintenance is either efficient or outsourced..
@ SB sir
Your guess is as good as mine - as you have pointed out, either maintenance is outsourced to an agency that is sincerely carrying on its responsibly, or else the KSRTC staff are very efficient. but the bus stand is not very old (I will have to check the exact month/year of its inauguration) because I have had very bad experience in the old bus stand that existed next to the new one; from where private buses are making their trips to mofussil areas.
If you had visited the private bus stand also, a comparison would have been in order about its upkeep, maintenance, the slush, the stinks etc., since private bus users are also commuters and KSRTC does not operate in those non-profit (?) routes for poor farmers who visit Channapattana for procuring their agricultural necessities like seeds etc. The present bus stand was previously the starting point for the private buses - place has been swapped that is all but the vendors and others are continuing in the private bus stand area even now.
Stratified monopolistic attitude?
- Vasanth Mysoremath
the contrast
I went deep into some rural areas around Channapatna/Ramanagara as well, in fact have driven around that area (and alos around Kanakapura/Harohalli area - similar population pattern) a few times now (to visit a few water bodies, damns, temples etc), I don't think I saw that many private buses, mostly KSRTC, so I don't know about one point you made above.
Anyway. No point getting into the same arguments that are alive on other threads.
I am going to ask KSRTC (tried once already) about the age and upkeep arrangement for this bus stand. Will also ask if the model (if at all it is different from what is done for most other stands) is being repliacted elsewhere.
The private bus stand right next to it is a nightmare. Just goes to show that the private operators don't really care, and the regulatory body (assume its KSRTC) too doesn't care about the comfort of commuters. Private operators think that their job begins only after a commuter lands iside their buses. Not sure if they ever tried to "co-operatively" invest in sprucing up whatever area they have been given to operate out of.
The contrast told me two things
No Regulator
The private bus stand right next to it is a nightmare
Kalaspaliyam is no different. I don't think there is any regulator for these private bus stands. The municipality or the BBMP (for Bangalore) maintains them & retars roads. Private operators will not invest in expensive infrastructure as they believe it's the govt's obligation to provide them with facilities. In any case, most of them are too small to make contributions for upkeep of bus stands.