Flyovers no hit with bus users

Flyovers no hit with bus users
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Flyovers in the city, existing and proposed, may be useful to motorists but they are hugely unpopular with bus commuters. Reason: BMTC users are forced to walk additional distances to catch buses.

Before the flyovers were built, buses would halt at several stops on the road and this was convenient to many who lived or worked around these stops. With the flyovers in place, buses now skip many old stops and halt at only the two extremes of the flyover. This lapse has been highlighted by the Consumer Comfort Task Force (CCTF) constituted by BMTC in its yet-to-be finalised report.

In its draft, the CCTF has stated: ‘‘Flyovers that are being constructed are not always designed for public transport users resulting in bus users being further discouraged from their use.’’

This is perfectly true of the Sirsi Circle flyover. To catch a bus, a commuter from Chamarajpet has to either walk all the way to Sirsi Circle or Town Hall square.

As a solution, the CCTF has suggested that ‘‘innovations to increase bus usage might require retro-fitting of bus stops onto flyovers with pedestrian ramps for people to access them.’’

There can be supported concrete or metal box-like structures attached to the flyover to be used as bus stops at the top. Foot approaches to this relief structure also need to be provided for people to get there.

Among the several changes that BMTC envisages, it intends to reduce the distance between two stops to no more than 250 metres, which will be impossible without stops on flyovers.