A spoke in Volvo’s wheels

A spoke in Volvo’s wheels
Deccan Herald

As improbable as it may sound, the latest to put a spoke in BMTC Volvo’s wheel is the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). Thanks to the ongoing construction of a grade separator at Jayadeva Circle in Jayanagar, services on two of the five Volvo routes have been withdrawn.

Meanwhile, the pending completion of Airport Road flyover has brought in cancellations and financial losses for BMTC on the high density route connecting the city to ITPL and Whitefield. Services on route ‘201’, that connects Srinagar to Domlur via 19 major bus stops in South Bangalore, has been withdrawn due to obstruction in Jayanagar. Instead of this route, the BMTC has started a new link, connecting Shivajinagar to ITPL.

Similarly, the circuitous Banashankari-Banashankari ‘500’ route has been shortened by half. In order to skip Jayadeva circle, the Banashankari-Central Silk Board junction link, that covers 22 bus stops, has been cancelled. The Volvo now runs between Central Silk Board junction and Hebbal, stopping only at 15 important points.

No smooth drive

It is no smooth drive for Volvos on Airport Road either. According to BMTC Managing Director Upendra Tripathi, traffic movement is diverted on narrow roads near the flyover construction site, making it difficult for Volvo buses to navigate.

“Road works and traffic congestion have slowed down the speed of Volvo buses, making them run late or break schedules. Though we are facing a lot of problems on Airport road, we have to run our services as these routes are the most frequented,” Mr Tripathi explains.

The long diversions due to pending infrastructure projects are burning a hole in BMTC’s pockets. The cost of operating a Volvo bus is Rs 53.62 per kilometre, while the revenue is Rs 40.44, indicating a loss of about Rs 13 per kilometre. “The Volvo buses are forced to take long winding diversions, resulting in major losses for us. Also, though the Volvos have high powered engines, they are forced to crawl on congested roads. Unlike the normal buses that switch off their engines at traffic junctions, the Volvos have to keep their engines running because of the air-conditioning. This also increases the cost burden. What can we do if the roads are not good and incomplete projects trigger traffic jams?” asks Dastagir Sharieff, Chief Traffic Manager, BMTC.

The services in South Bangalore are likely to be resumed after the BDA projects are inaugurated in July, Mr Tripathi adds.

Services

Route Connecting points No of buses Earnings/km (in Rs)

356C KBS-Electronic city 5 49.31

335E KBS-Kadugodi 8 54.17

2 KBS-JP Nagar 6th Phase 5 41.17

331A Shivajinagar-ITPL 3 33.19

500D Central Silk Board-Hebbal 4 24.35

KBS - Kempegowda Bus Station) Earnings/km is for the month of June