Re: Public Transport vs Private Cars
Post: This idea is aimed at reducing the private vehicles on the road by targeting commuter buses whose routes are designed specifically for the people who travel using their own vehicles, i.e. the middle class and higher. Speaking as a car owner, I am very much for public transport. But I am not willing to wait more than 15 min or change more than once to reach my destination. I am not willing to board crowded buses and get my pocket picked. I am however willing to pay a premium for comfortable Volvo service. There are several others like me all over Bangalore. So far the bus routes are decided by the BMTC magically and then the commuter is asked to fit in his commute to the route. For a person owning a vehicle the bus route has to be almost as convenient as driving himself if he's to be persuaded to use the bus. E.g. In my case there is no direct bus that takes me from 4th Block to Mayo Hall. I did try to use the Volvo service and then the HOHO service but again it wasn't convenient. It involved a 15 min walk from Lalbag West Gate to the Main Gate followed by a 20 min wait for the HOHO bus. On the return trip I waited 1hour and no Blue Line bus showed up. This is not a practical solution for me and people like me. So why not do an internet survey where vehicle owners can mention their desired start-end points between which if Volvo service existed, they would use it. The reason for the internet only survey is the target segment of middle class and higher. Advertise that this is being done and encourage people to respond. Encourage people to forward the info and vote on the website. If the response is good, take the highest voted bus stops and devise a route or two that goes through these stops. The buses only need to ply on these during commuting times. I.e. 7-10am and 5-9pm. During the day 10am-5pm they could be used to service a different route that needs the extra capacity. The buses must be high frequency during the time. At most 15 mins. I'm certain this would reduce the number of vehicles on the roads. At the very least this would fare better than the HOHO service which runs empty all the time. I'm not convinced that the kind of commuter it is targeting is in large numbers. Thanks, Nithin.
