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'BMTC tweaks fares to fleece commuters'!?

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silkboard - 14 October, 2010 | Bangalore | BMTC | Bus | Media Reports | fares | Transportation | public transport

Vasanth, Pathy sir and some others have always complained that BMTC fares are too high. Two senior citizens from Marathahalli claim that BMTC is charging far higher than prescribed fares. From the Hindu: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article817575.ece

The Government has fixed 2 km as fare stage for city bus services. While the maximum fare for the first stage should not exceed Rs. 4, the fare should be 60 paise for every subsequent stage, says a Government Notification dated July 7, 2005. M.S. Jagannathan and C. Ramachandra Reddy, senior citizens from Marathahalli, who have regularly been following the fare hikes, say that BMTC fares are the highest in the country, which come almost to Re. 1 a km.

Read more at http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article817575.ece

Time to dig out latest operational data from BMTC to see where is the higher fare money going?

COMMENTS

It's BBMP & traffic police

idontspam - 19 October, 2010 - 06:08

It's BBMP & traffic police that need to be convinced.

WIth R Ashok behind them I am hard pressed to understand why they cant do it? Wasnt it Ashok who scuttled paid parking, which was approved by BBMP & Traffic police, saying BJP was against it? If he can make things NOT happen I am sure he can use the same clout to make things happen as well.

others too are beginning to say it

murali772 - 14 October, 2010 - 13:13

"I feel if this needs to go, only way is ending of bmtc monopoly" - that's by a Hasiru Usiru member, on reading this report - check this.

Do I need to add, I endorsed it wholeheartedly :))).
 

 Yes-the only reason why

ss87 - 14 October, 2010 - 13:34

 Yes-the only reason why BMTC's fare is high is because of this non-adherence to rules-just look at a PSU not adhering Govt laid guidelines-seriously heights

No fresh govt notification after 2005 ?

Naveen - 14 October, 2010 - 16:42

I think BMTC seems to have done whatever suited it in the absense of updated govt guidelines - there should have been updates to the notification after the one dtd 7-July-2005 (since cost of fuel has gone up).

A comparison with Mumbai's BEST fares reveals that BMTC's fares are not too much different, though exact comparisons are difficult (BEST quotes km whereas BMTC quotes stages of 2km, but many stages are actually less than 2km, as per the news report). BMTC fares are:

All ordinary services:  4.00 (Minimum); 11.00 (stage-5); 13.00 (stage-10); 14.00 (stage-15); 16.00 (stage-20).
Atal Saarige:  varies between 2.00 & 8.00 (minimum to stage-20).

A/C suvarna fares:  5.00 (minimum); 15.00 (stage-5); 18.00 (stage-10); 22.00 (stage-15); 28.00 (stage-20).

A/C volvo fares:  10.00 (minimum); 25.00 (stage-5); 40.00 (stage-10); 50.00 (stage-15); 65.00 (stage-20).

Source

 

BEST-Mumbai fares [ Distance - Ordinary - AC (Marcopolo?) ]

  2km - 4.00   - 10.00
  3km - 6.00   - 15.00
  5km - 7.00   - 15.00
  7km - 8.00   - 20.00
10km - 10.00 - 25.00
15km - 12.00 - 30.00
20km - 14.00 - 35.00
25km - 16.00 - 40.00
30km - 17.00 - 50.00
35km - 18.00 - 60.00

Above 35Km:
Ordinary:  Rs.2/- for every addl. 5Km or part thereof
AC:  Rs.10/- for every addl. 5Km or part thereof

Source

 BEST also runs Volvo buses

ss87 - 14 October, 2010 - 17:22

 BEST also runs Volvo buses but on selected routes only-also they have a Ltd. service on many routes whose fares are higher than normal and have limited stops-but a route having LTD. doesnt have ordinary 

Metro and Commuter Rail once operational will compete with BMTC

Vasanth - 16 October, 2010 - 16:35

 Once Metro is fully functional, long distance Volvos will be less preferred by commuters due to the cheaper fare structure of Metro and faster (almost 1/3rd travel time). This is like 3-4 years down the line. Only people who cannot take the pain of getting into Metro Station will take up buses.

If commuter rail also becomes functional, it will be competition to BMTC's brother KSRTC too.

These are best competitors compared to private bus operators competing with BMTC.

BMTC might have to push again with Volvo-promos fare.

Common mobility card

Naveen - 19 October, 2010 - 03:52

Pasha said the corporation is open to the idea of launching a pilot project of the common mobility card. "We have been setting precedents for urban transport in the country. We'd like to initiate this project too. We may look at deploying 1,000 buses initially. The cards can be used for different forms of public transport and can even support other urban services," Pasha said. The scheme will work with central funds on the lines of JNNURM.

Full report

About changing mindsets

idontspam - 19 October, 2010 - 05:30

From the article I quote Mr Pasha "We have been setting precedents for urban transport in the country"
 
The proof of the pudding will be in implementing bus priority which can only benefit them. Let us see if they will put the required effort to change the mindset or they will fall into the trap of 'this is not possible here'

BMTC - Always "Yes"

Naveen - 19 October, 2010 - 05:45

BMTC has always been demanding not just priorities, but dedicated lanes for their buses from quite long. It's BBMP & traffic police that need to be convinced, who find it very hard to convince the car users & manage the traffic.

back to fares

silkboard - 21 October, 2010 - 19:30

So Naveen, BEST and BMTC fares seem to be similar. Looks like its the so called guideline mroe at fault than Bus fares.

How are the guideline fares decided, any idea?

Chennai Kolkata would be mentioned as examples on the lower side. That should show in the health of their Bus Corporations.

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