BMTC gearing to face transport needs of expanded city

BMTC gearing to face transport needs of expanded city

The Hindu

Corporation to come out with a strategy in a month Corporation to come out with a strategy in a month

# BMTC to get feedback from commuters
# Corporation's fleet to be increased to 5,200 by March 2007

BANGALORE: The State Government's move to form Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has amplified the responsibility of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) in catering to the transport needs of an expanded Bangalore.

The corporation will be compelled to increase its fleet, augment its infrastructure and employ more personnel to provide frequent and extended hours of service beyond BBMP.

Better infrastructure

Even as the Government is going ahead with its proposal, the corporation is gearing to work on the modalities to extend its services. One of the reasons for forming BBMP is to provide infrastructure for an efficient and better urban transport system. A senior official of the corporation told The Hindu on Sunday that the BMTC would conduct a survey of the transport requirements of the expanded Bengaluru and get feedback from commuters.

While gaps in the present service would have to be identified and filled, the corporation would come out with a strategy to address the enhanced transport needs of the expanded Bengaluru within a month, the official said.

Already, the corporation is operating services beyond 25 km of Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) limits to places such as Nelamangala, Jala, Talaghattapura, Bidadi, Hoskote, Tavarekere and the like.

Once the limits of BMP are expanded by forming BBMP, the jurisdiction of BMTC automatically gets extended, he said. In that event, places such as Anekal, Kanakapura, Malur, Doddaballapura, Devanahalli, Dabuspet and Magadi would come within the ambit of BMTC.

Frequency of service

A senior official with the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) said the BMTC has to increase the frequency of services from all suburban areas to the central business district. Apart from increasing the frequency, the corporation has to extend the hours of service, say from the present 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. to midnight, the official said. The BMTC official said the present fleet of 4,200 buses would be increased to 5,200 by March 2007 and, if necessary, more buses would be added to the fleet.

Eventually, the corporation might require at least 7,000 buses. Similarly, the number of bus depots has to be increased.

In this situation, the KSRTC may have to give up its existing depots to BMTC at places where BMTC extends its service, the KSRTC official said. "Our job is to provide inter-city connectivity and we may not operate between points within BBMP."

Eventually, KSRTC's Bangalore Rural Division would merge with BMTC with BMTC catering to all parts of Bangalore Rural District, the official added.