Category: Transport


Why is BMTC continuing with Marcopolo? Stop Marcopolo

Filed under: awareness, Bangalore, enviornment, Health, India, Nature, People, protest, Social Issues, Society, Traffic, Transport by Sushil Katre — 13 Comments
February 6, 2013

I have never seen such a third class bus – Tata Marcopolo. Even local buses in my village are much better than these (in terms of emission / pollution).

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is a government agency that operates the public transport bus service in Bangalore. According to a news dated 30th Jan 2013 in Times of India, BMTC has got 96 Tata Marcopolo buses in operation.

I have never been on these Marcopolo buses, but I have ridden behind these pathetic Marcopolo buses many a times. The amount of black smoke it releases can make your face black and can choke you to death. Even the loading trucks which more often than not runs on kerosine do not emit such smoke.

Its disgusting to even think how BMTC officials agreed to buy such buses. I feel like putting their face against the exhaust of Tata Marcopolo bus.

These buses not only cause nuisance from outside but they are no good inside as well. Do a quick serch and you will find people complaining about:

  • The engine making a lot of noise and making the travel a “DEAFENING” experience
  • The AC not working efficiently
  • The back part of the bus getting heated up in spite of insulators.
  • The doors not working properly
  • The bus struggling to move up the slope
  • Dust coming inside because of gaps in the door

I guess BMTC launched these buses in 2010 and while I am aware that Tata Marcopolo are half the price of Volvo, something which is not acceptable is the amount of pollution these buses do. BMTC would be better off running normal buses instead of plying Tata Marcopolo in non Volvo routes.

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“Jugaad”…Creative Innovation!

Filed under: Bangalore, enviornment, Health, People, Photography, pollution, Traffic, Transport by deponti — 2 Comments
December 6, 2011

“Jugaad” means, “innovation”, often thinking out-of-the-box. A mode of public transportation, with the engine of a tractor, has already taken on this name in several states of India.

On Sunday, as we were heading out for our nature trail on Bannerghatta Road, I spotted this tricycle-cart that had been fitted with a two-wheeler engine, and was puttering along happily!

 

I don’t think this gives very environment-friendly emissions, however creative and innovative it is!

What a pity that pedal-power is seen by the working people as something too difficult to sustain.  I was actually thinking of an initiative to re-introduce cycle-rickshaws….

 

 

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Bangalore Traffic and Bus Stands

Filed under: Bangalore, enviornment, People, Social Issues, Traffic, Transport by Sushil Katre — 2 Comments
September 23, 2011

This is something which I have observed not as a part of some specific research or study, but observed this during my daily commute in the city.

I have observed that the bus stands in bangalore (i do not know about other cities) are situated very close to the traffic signals. Now because these stands are very close to the signal there is a good amount of people movement near the signal, people getting out of the bus, waiting for the bus.

Imagine a bus stand before a signal. To pick up passengers typically you will see more than one bus near the stand, and usually they stand behind each other and try to overtake already standing buses from the right. Two buses in parallel in our road and a traffic blockage is guaranteed. And if at this point of time the signal turns green what do you do? Stand behind these buses. If these are private bues they do not mind waiting to get one or two extra passengers even though the signal is green. How many times you have seen policemen at busy signals making sure that buses do not stand when the signal is green.

Similar thing happens when the bus stand is just after the traffic signal. The traffic signal goes green, buses stop near the signal, causing a jam. The signal turns read, while vehicles are still stuck at the intersection, not allowing vehicles from the other side to cross.

Will having these bus stands little further from traffic signal help?  I do not know, because usually the distance between two signals is not much here in Bangalore. But there is a bus stand near IIMB and I have never seen jam becuase of this bus stand as it is not close to the traffic signal, while the one, just before Reliance Mart (if you are coming from Meenakshi Temple towards Reliance Mart) there is always a blockage becuase the bus stand is right next to the traffic signal.

I wonder if anything can be done.

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Rage….

Filed under: Bangalore, People, Transport by deponti — 4 Comments
April 6, 2011

At 8.30 pm on the 4th of April, I took the BIAS Vayu Vajra  (BIAS 12, to KuVemPu Nagara)nfrom the airport to my home.

On the way, a group of four  passengers got on,and asked for tickets. They paid Rs. 60( four tickets of Rs.15 each) , and the conductor said that the tickets would cost Rs.20 each. The young man who was one of the group protested, saying that he had taken the Volvo yesterday and had paid only Rs.15, and he would not pay the higher amount.

The conductor insisted that the amount was correct. The passenger demanded that the conductor show him the chart; if the amount was correct, he said, he would pay the difference.

The conductor refused to show him the chart and asked the group to get off the bus. The passenger, getting increasingly vociferous, said he would not get off without taking a look at the chart.

Within minutes, the young man and the conductor were involved in violent fisticuffs. The driver halted the bus, and came back to intervene. One of the ladies in the group also pulled the young man off the brawl, and the group got off the bus, with invective and bad feeling flying around.

I cannot imagine  that the conductor of a Vayu Vajra bus would demand excess fare; after all, he was going to give the ticket to the value of Rs.20, not for Rs.15.

A few passengers said that perhaps the previous day, the young man had, indeed, taken a Volvo, but it might not have been the Vayu Vajra bus, which does have a higer fare. This seems to me to be the likely explanation.

But in this case, why did the conductor not just show the young man the chart, and prove that he was mistaken? That would have defused the situation instead of escalating it into physical violence, which is what transpired.

Why are our tempers so short, that we need to indulge in violence almost immediately? Why does rage prevail instead of more mature behaviour?

Why are we so ready to assume that the other person is out to cheat us? Why can’t we assume goodwill, or at least an honest mistake, and try to sort out the situation, instead of indulging in confrontation, anger and violent behaviour?

No wonder, both bus passengers and bus staff are a harried lot at the end of the day…..

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I’ve volunteered…

Filed under: Bangalore, People, Road, Transport by deponti — 5 Comments
April 6, 2011

I saw

here’s the announcement

It says:

“Every Bus Day is different.

This Bus Day, on the 8th April, 2011 is SPECIAL because the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka along with his cabinet colleagues, Government Officers & Officials, Film Stars and Cricketers will travel by Bus!!!

As ministers, officers and other celebrities take the bus, leading by example, they need to be encouraged in their effort to support daily commute by public transport. How can you participate?

It is requested of you, as citizens of Bengaluru, to spare your precious time by accompanying BMTC officers at important nodal points in Bengaluru to assist the above mentioned commuters to travel by Bus between 8.30 AM – 11 AM and/or 5 PM – 8.30 PM. Refreshments will be provided. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the survey form below:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGZKS0JrMEdmbXBjSmNDYS1BVTUtRWc6MQ

Various spots in Bengaluru.”

So I’ve registered myself….let’s see what I am asked to do, and what happens! It’s going to be interesting, and I am rather tickled by the concept that eminent people cannot take the bus without assistance!

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God…and animal worship…

Filed under: Animal, Bangalore, Bird Watching, Hill, Nature, Photography, Transport by deponti — 4 Comments
March 26, 2011

If God is great….

Photobucket

then, this is animal worship…of a different kind!

Photobucket

Both taken today, on our wonderful trip to Nandi Hills.

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Beauty Queen on Road – Vajra Volvo Buses

Filed under: Bangalore, Road, Transport by Priyanka Varma — 6 Comments
December 9, 2010

The Red beauty running on the Bangalore roads was launched in the city by BMTC for hassle free commutation. Named as “Vajra” these are air conditioned buses plying from one part of the city to another. With these buses the commutation for people using public transport service has become comfortable. They well connect the city. Though the prices are little high, the daily passengers prefer to use this because of the comfort of travelling. You can get monthly passes which is quite reasonable.

Vajra Volvo Buses

Vajra Volvo Buses

These buses also ply from Bangalore International Airport(BIA) to the different parts of the city. These are the “Vayu Vajra” buses making the transport to the airport cheaper and safer. Be it in the midnight, early morning or in the noon these buses run for 24 hours. So no hassle of booking taxi and paying them 600 bucks. With the minimum fare of 130 INR  and maximum of 240 INR you can reach the airport.

The BMTC has tried to come up with innovative things like newspapers on the volvo, breakfast service while on commutation to your office but unfortunately this didn’t work out.

Apart from these red, majestic Volvo buses there are newly introduced look alike Tata Marcopolo air conditioned buses though they can’t match the beauty of the Vajra buses, has a cheaper fare. Bangalore really has a good bus service be it the these AC buses(Vajra, Vayu Vajra or Tata Marcopolo) or the Big 10 (this runs in the outer ring road) or the normal Pushpak service connecting the city very well.

More Info on the timings, route and fare of the buses at BMTC website.

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