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BMTC in Metro Times

27 June 2017 - 2:55pm — Vasanth
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Ever since the launch of Metro, especially after East West Purple line was fully implemented, Bengaluru is saying 'Metro, Metro'. BMTC commuters, office bus users and many car drivers have switched over to Metro.  Ridership has already touched 1.8 Lakhs on purple line.

Now with the Green Line fully opened and Phase 1 completely inagurated by Hon. President of India, even the South Bengaluru residents have also switched over to Metro and the ridership is increasing to 3.2 lakhs. Although BMRCL claims it is expecting 5 lakhs, it is not providing the necessary infrastructure to touch 5 lakhs.

Positive aspects of Metro:

1. Assured travel time between point A to point B with maximum 1 or 2 minutes here and there.

2. Reduced travel time during peak hours.

3. Airconditioned trains and few underground stations too giving better comfort.

 

Some of the negative aspects:

1. BMRCL not operating 6 coach trains leading to crush load during peak hours even with 4 minutes peak hour frequency providing very uncomfortable journey during peak hours.

2. BMRCL not operating trains even at 6 minutes during non peak hours, it is operating at 10 minutes frequency with 3 coach train - Becoming like BMTC - profit oriented?

3. Last mile - debatable - BMTC running lot of feeder buses, but the buses are crowded and frequency is not matching metro. Parking lots available in terminal stations, In non terminal station for 2 wheelers, some how managable, not for 4 wheelers.

Some of the key points to be noted is:

1. If your house and office (source and target) are both nearby to Metro station, you get maximum benefit out of it - (Vidhana Soudha and High Court Employees for example, if their house is also nearby Metro - they gain maximum benefit)

2. If your house is nearby Metro and office around 15 -30 mins journey or office near by and house 15- 30 mins journey from Metro station and you are travelling more than 15+ kms, you get the benefit.

Now let us keep this Metro debate aside and see what BMTC can do when its commuters are going away from trunk route Volvos:

 BMTC operates its Volvos primarily to IT sector at ITPL, Outer Ring Road -Sarjapur Rd to  Hebbal, Electronic City & Bannerghatta Road.

 

 

 

 

 

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srinidhi's picture

trunk is out..

srinidhi - 30 Jun 2017 - 8:02am
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mostly that is..because bmtc still is cheaper for folks where costs matter (that is most of us)..

but yes, bmtc needs to adapt to the new reality of metro on the scene..the focus needs to get more on feeder services which reach the inner roads/areas of the localities around metro stations..

This can be done with shorter buses which can move easily on narrow streets..a good move has been made with the procurement of the new smaller busses with low floors..now its a matter of using them right..that is..

  • use them for shorter trips like shuttles
  • re-reoute them through the narrower streets to make best use of their size

Orange colored Chakra/Samparka bus of this small type are plying aroung town now..but would say mindlessly at this point..even the shuttle routes are adhoc..something like one route connecting Mysore rd metro station to Jayanagar via Hanumanthanagar/Basavangudi..simply does not make sense..

Such half hearted implementation is bound to fail!

Its time BMTC changes their ways fast..unfortunately we are not gettign the right signals from them yet on the change needed..

murali772's picture

feeder services - the weak link in the city commute

murali772 - 1 Jul 2017 - 8:06pm
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Such half hearted implementation is bound to fail! Its time BMTC changes their ways fast..unfortunately we are not gettign the right signals from them yet on the change needed..
 
@ Sri - you have hit the nail on the head. It was the case before the opening up of the "green line" (Metro) too - check here. And, now with the feeder services becoming even more crucial, one would have thought they would buck up. But, going by the following excerpts from a New Indian Express report ( for the full text - highlighting done by me - click here), they are just giving up:
 
BMTC is living on a hope. Already reeling under huge losses in its feeder bus services and with no assistance from the government, BMTC says it is willing to lease buses to BMRCL for the feeder services.
 
The current projected annual loss of feeder buses stands at Rs18 crore and BMTC may soon have to cut down on the number of buses if this continues. Left to rely on private vehicles, shared cab services and autorickshaws for last-mile connectivity, commuters too are hit by inadequate feeder services.
 
BMTC is hoping that BMRCL will operate feeder buses on the lines of New Delhi, where Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) operates feeder buses.
 
They want to pass on the buck to BMRCL. BMRCL, while apparently keen on taking up the feeder service operations, very obviously does not want any tie up with BMTC, lest the BMTC work culture affect their culture too. If licensed to operate the feeder services independent of BMTC, I expect, BMRCL would be keen to take it up. 
 
But, as of now, the commuters are deprived of the benefits of the full scale 1st phase operation that has cost the tax paying citizens a whopping Rs 13,000 cr. Can the city and the citizens afford it?  
 
Very simply the BMTC monopoly has to go.
 
Muralidhar Rao

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