Recce ride report - BMTC connects

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…..

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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)
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.

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.

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.

btw it was mentioned that they have withdrawn feeder services from Trinity station..but saw one bus standing there today!

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.

"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.