Bangaloreans stumped by the last-mile hitch

Bangaloreans stumped by the last-mile hitch

Anil Kumar Sastry

Will the experiment of offering people a ride on Vajra service help BMTC in persuading them to switch over to public transport?

There is no effective monitoring of the operation of BMTC buses

Number of private vehicles has gone up more than threefold in the last decade



Stranded: Not exactly encouraging for commuters to switch over to public transport

BANGALORE: Okay, some of you may have taken the one-rupee Vajra ride even if you are not a regular bus commuter. You may have found the journey not too unpleasant. Now, would you switch over to public transport, considering our roads are so overloaded?

Chances are even if you are keen on travelling by a Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus to work, you will be forced to resort to at least some other mode of transportation — an autorickshaw or your own vehicle — because your residence and/or workplace is far away from the nearest bus stop. Or even if you are fortunate enough to live next door to a bus stop, the bus schedules do not match with your own. This issue of last-mile connectivity has been forcing many a Bangalorean to rely on their own mode of transport, braving chaotic road conditions — be it traffic or bad roads.

But given a viable option, many are prepared to leave their private vehicles behind and opt for a safe, stress-free and cheaper commuting.

Rajendra Kumar, a resident of Ullalu Satellite Town, off the Jnanabharathi campus, said if proper parking facilities are provided on Mysore Road either near the University Gate or Rajarajeshwari Gate, he was ready to park his two-wheeler and take a BMTC bus to Shivajinagar. “Though there is a scheduled bus every 20 minutes to K.R. Market and Majestic, the service is irregular and I am compelled to take my two-wheeler,” he said.

Similar was the opinion of Satish Chandra, a resident of Sakaharanagar off Bellary Road. He said had there been a parking lot on Bellary Road, where BMTC buses ply at high frequency, it would have benefitted him. Now, he has take out the car every day, a big drain on his fuel bill.

On the other hand, BMTC’s nearly 5,000-strong fleet appears to be inadequate, particularly during the peak hours. Though these buses are supposed to make nearly 70,000 trips (14 trips per bus) a day, they miss at least two trips each thanks to overcrowded roads. T there is no effective monitoring on the operation of these buses.

Though BMTC had been talking about using global positioning system (GPS) for over five years to track the movement of buses, it is yet to be made operational. It will not happen soon either as BMTC now says that it wants to integrate GPS with common ticketing system, which will come after Namma Metro will start chugging after two years.

Lack of reliability of BMTC buses also has contributed to the failure of the public transport system in the city. Waiting at a wayside bus stop, one is not sure if the bus will come at all. Had GPS been in place, it would have facilitated installation of online passenger information system at all bus stations and wayside bus stops.
Private vehicles

The number of private vehicles has gone up more than threefold during the last one decade with over 27 lakh two-wheelers and nearly six lakh cars on our roads. In December 1997, the city had only 8.1 lakh two-wheelers and 1.4 lakh cars. Two-wheelers and cars account for nearly 83 per cent of the total 37 lakh vehicles that are registered and used in Bangalore, according to statistics provided by the Transport Department.
TTMCs

BMTC, having realised how crucial last-mile connectivity is, now proposes to construct a number of travel and transit management centres (TTMCs) across the city. Many of these TTMCs are funded under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and the first of such TTMCs is coming up in Jayanagar 4th Block. Recently, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa laid foundation stones for five TTMCs and the corporation is hopeful of completing them in two years.

Besides offering park-and-ride facility, TTMCs are also designed to act as a single shopping point catering to various requirements of the residents of surrounding areas. Right from medical shops, the TTMCs will have various civic facilities.

One will have to wait till a few such TTMCs actually start offering the desired service to assess their impact on public transport.