Bus Station Watch 1: Kempegowda Bus Station

Beginning from today, Deccan Herald carries a series of reports on the state of bus stations in Bangalore.

A station with chaos,
Despite efforts made by authorities to bring some semblance of order in the terminus, they are largely unheeded, both by commuters and the bus crews.

Deccan Herald

The Kempegowda city bus station’s (KBS) location, close to the KSRTC Bus Stand and the City Railway Station, has meant that unlike most other city bus terminals in Bangalore, it has to handle a large number of commuters who hail from outside the City. It is logical then to expect certain facilities catering to this difference in commuter profile.

Upgradation works, estimated at Rs 4.5 crore has been on for the past one year. Shiny new granite flooring and seating are visible in areas of the terminus where the work is nearly complete.

If that is set aside, most other aspects are askance. The KBS has 26 platforms in its four-concentric ringed plan of platforms and bus bays. An observer is witness to haphazardly parked buses and their crew of drivers-conductors, and unco-operative and indisciplined commuters trying to outdo each other. The former don’t really park the buses aligned to the platforms as they are expected to and the latter care two hoots to the constant reminders against strolling into bus bays.

The situation is worse on the adjacent service road, where temporary parking arrangement has been made for those buses, whose bay area is under repair.
Signboards giving bus timings and route schedules are few and far between. Traffic controllers and traffic inspectors meant to manage the show by being present at the platforms (checking the timely arrival and departure of buses and controlling the commuters) are missing in action on many platforms.

A lone enquiry counter located next to the Assistant Traffic Manager’s office lacks visibility. In any case, the odd telephone booths located within the station play the unofficial role of enquiry counters. All specific and sundry queries of the commuters looking for guidance, are thrown at the personnel manning them. The answer is dependent on the moment’s temperament of the booth personnel. These telephone booths close by 11.30 pm and commuters on the late night services that go on till 1.30 am, are left to trust their instincts.

The private security and home guard personnel employed to keep a routine eye are not well versed with the platform numbers and their route direction or the bus route numbers. “They spend a few months here (KBS), and few others at various other bus stations; obviously they wouldn’t be well versed,” observed a person manning a telephone booth.
Two public toilet blocks - one housing four units and the other six units, are too spaced out and inadequate. While a board clearly specifies the usage charge as Re 1, the ayah manning it demands a neat Rs 3.

A charity stall offering drinking water, is the lone bet to meet the drinking water needs. Woeful is the emergency medical preparedness. There is just one pharmacy within the terminus. Despite official claims on control of vendor or hawker activities within the station, minor businesses continue to thrive. School dropouts hailing from as far as Bellary and Hassan make a living here selling charts on bus route schedules, calenders and other pocketbooks. Drunkards are an everyday affair especially after dusk, claim these youngsters. They also observe that theft and pick-pocketing are rampant. Mobile phones are the most sought after articles of theft, they say.

Police personnel at the police outpost, while not commenting on these aspects, lament that things would improve if the commuters themselves were more responsible towards their luggage and belongings.Hawkers bound the length of the pedestrian subways and foot bridges leading in and out of the terminus. No sooner has the beat constable pushed them to the wall, than they are back, spreading out their mats and wares. For the record, the Kempegowda Bus Station, spread over an area of over seven acres, is two decades old. It handles about five lakh commuters daily. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation operates 9,619 trips under 1,356 schedules to meet their demand. Every four seconds there is one bus moving in or out of this terminus.

TRAVEL-LOG

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has introduced new buses on all routes within the city and to the suburbs in recent years. But the condition of most of the bus stands is appalling. Cleanliness, security, enquiry facilities, display of timings - all call for improvement.
This when the demand for a good and dependable public transport system is on the rise in a city which is growing fast.

COMMUTERS RESPONSE

Anwar Pasha from Mysore was in Bangalore on personal work. According to him, ‘this place is too crowded. Buses should be more frequent.’

Sudhamani, a high school teacher at Subramanyanagar has been a resident of Bangalore for the last 30 years. “Earlier even when the place was dirty and ill maintained you at least had some place to sit. Now there are no seats and no drinking water too,” she recounts.

Prabha, a resident of Vijayanagar complains, “There are no seating arrangements here. Sometimes I don’t feel secure too.”

Vinay, a native of Kolar and a lecturer at an engineering college in Yelahanka has only one grouse, “I have been passing here quite often over the last four months. I have no complaints on the facilities, but I think the frequency of buses should be increased.”

Kavya, who resides along Airport Road has a wish, “I wish toilet facilities were better.”

BMTC RESPONSE

Assistant Traffic Manager, Kempegowda Bus Station, V Nagaraj noted that things will improve when the upgradation works are complete. Below are his assurances and appeal:

*A modern enquiry counter similar to the call centers will be part of the upgraded facilities and renovated building. There are plans to outsource the job.
*The congestion on the service road has been difficult for the commuters, especially during rains. Parking on service roads is temporary, it will ease when work is complete.
*A water purifier and cooler will shortly to be installed at each platform.
*Colourful and effective signboards will be installed shortly.
Public should imbibe a sense of discipline and heed to requests against walking on bus bays. “How can we blame our drivers, when commuters themselves don’t follow safety rules?”
*BMTC is looking at zero waiting time for commuters. Presently, the effort is to see that a commuter spends not more than 10 minutes in the bus stop.