Tried office commute using Big10 - a report

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Big10 inside 28.22 am - Wife dropped me at the main road outside our complex, a Big 10 was waiting right then and there. Even better, the driver stopped for me to save me a 50 m walk till the bus stand. Good or bad, I wonder, but I did say thanks to him.



8.32 am - Our Big10 hits the Marathahalli Railway bridge.

8.44 am - 12 minutes to cross the bridge plus market area, not that bad.

8.52 am - I am out at HAL bus stand. 10 Rupees paid for the ride from Varthur Road till here.

Here is where I faced the biggest hurdle of this commute so far. Tell me how to cross the road when the signals HAL/Suranjan Das Road T junction make sure that Airport road always has traffic flowing in either direction at all points of time? There is no pedestrian island at the center (media area) as well. You got to be an athlete (sprint) as well as a monk (patience) to cross the road.

BTW, the same problem exists at Marathahalli/ORR signal as well. There is no pedestrian friendly signal stop, you got to cross one lane, then wait at median (and hope that no vehicle crushes your toes), and then cross the other lane. Two step process is fine, can live with that, but then, there must be a well made waiting area at the median.

Now, at HAL signal, I waited till 9.11 am, 19 minutes to be precise. Not a single bus came up from HAL/Airport road to take me on Suranjan Das Road towards CV Raman Nagar (office is at Bagmane Tech Park). 19 minutes is a lot of time.

9:11 am - Got into an auto. He refused to put on the meter. There was no time left to haggle (got a meeting at 9.30), so I said lets see. Along the way, he picked up another passenger, and requested me to "share" the ride. Great, why not.

9.24 am - I am at office, but have to first haggle with the auto driver over payment. He demands 45 Rs from both of us! I gave 35 (meter charge would have been about 26) and walked out all annoyed. Belag-belagge, yaake!?

62 minutes end to end, with 19 minutes wasted waiting at a bus interchange, and a thoroughly unpleasant last mile ride. What are the take-aways?

  • It takes me 35-40 minutes to cover the same route via private transport. Time taken via the bus auto combination is not that much more if you cut out the wait, and the ride itself (when in the bus) is comfortable enough.
  • Buses are nice to be in, but it is painful to be outside of them - to cross major roads, or wait at bus stands
  • Big 10 helps, high frequency of operation is the key
  • But, last mile sucks, as always. Thank God I live close to the Big 10 route. But I wish my office was closer to the Big 10 corridor.

Recommendations?

  • Instead of runing services (hired from BMTC?) from all over Bengaluru to Bagmane Tech park, the Tech Park itself needs to run just local shuttles to pull in people from nearby corridors - Airport Road, and Old Madras Road (and later, from Byappanhalli Metro terminal, and K R Puram train station if CRS ever happens).
  • Need dedicated bus lanes at choke points. Wish the Big10 route mentioned here could cross Marathahalli bridge and ORR signal at priority.
  • And last, and relatively less important than above: Big10 buses need more acceleration. I don't like cars overtaking my bus at will. The best thing about Volvos is not the air conditioning, but quick acceleration that helps it keep pace with or even beat the rest of traffic.

Agree with me?