BMTC Bus tracking

Mr.Murali,

I think YI, great as it was, was a bit ahead for the times since it was catering only to the volvos & was done by a private firm - BMTC also seemed not to have the necessary infrastructure nor the know-how to handle it then & recovery of costs for the service were not properly channeled - we had discussed about this during the meeting with BMTC.

Now, with funding from JNNURM, these kinks in the system will get resolved & the service may work this time. Let's see the positive side of things too.

@Murali - You said :

" If I have understood the report correctly, this facility serves only the people who are already in the bus "

I quote from the report (last para) :

" PIS in the remaining buses will be commissioned in two phases over the next six months. Reacting to the development, Professor M N Shrihari, a traffic expert, says: "Passengers can now organise their trips. They need not wait too long as the status of the buses travelling along the route will be made available."

This clarifies that passengers waiting at bus stops will get to know about buses that are due at their bus stop through LED displays. It actually covers all passengers & not the ones who can afford mobile phones with costs for SMS msgs only . Which is better & more inclusive ?

This has to improve to 75-80 % if we are interested in restoring order on our roads.

Which large city in the world has only bus service as PT that caters to 75-80 % of all trips performed ? I have asked you this question before with no answers from you. Do you have an answer to this now ? I know there isn't such a city (except a few with BRT).

It is always a combination of modes - metrorail, bus & any other/s (tram-light rail, monorail, etc.) that result in such high percentages of PT trips in all major cities - never mixed-traffic buses alone.

This lot comprises the personal vehicle users, largely, all of whom have mobile phones and who would be happy to pay the nominal charges for knowing where a bus is from wherever they are at any given time.

Do not be too sure when you make assumptions - they may be incorrect. I know a lot of people (my children, for example) who do not carry mobile phones but reach a bus stop anytime depending on their college /school /tution times & would be very pleased to know bus arrival times at bus-stops.

Bus usage has to be facilitated by this and as many ways as possible. If one has to go to a bus stop to find out when the next bus is coming, it is not exactly helping much.

If this has not already been included, BMTC has a feedback mechanism that might address this in the future. Placing GPS /GIS for a real-time information system such as the PIS has any no. of possibilities & one might even be able to get it off the PC whilst sitting in an office, apart from an SMS on his mobile.

The point is - they are thinking right this time & in a much more organized, comprehensive manner than just scratching the surface like what YI was.

Check this, and this