Have a parking system where all you do is deposit your bike, and a mechanical system lifts it to its parking slot -which is defined by the collection time. This way it will be faster than riding searching for parking. BUT! We need to build the metro on time first!

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When i was in Austin, TX - the Dillo - a free feeder service used to run between routes that could not be served by the regular bus service.

http://www.capmetro.org/riding/routes_400.asp

In Mangalore, i heard that buses go deep into wards so that there is no incentive to have a private vehicle.

A free service that would connect the metro stations would act as feeder routes and thereby provide a platform for people not to have private vehicles.

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About this point - "2. Free small busses to doorsteps":

Incentivize small residential complexes or communites to run small buses in "local loop" that connect their small neighbohood with select BMTC routes. A few of them already own buses, and already run services till CBD/M G Road. They could leave the trip to CBD/M G Road to BMTC Volvos, and instead focus on last mile connectivity an extending the reach of BMTC.

The thing is - we have to think better than autos.

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Is there a solution to the Auto Menace? - they seem to be the perfect solution to Last Mile Connectivity, yet they are monopolising the situation. They have Unions, large in numbers, aggresive and often dangerous. I never have been able to take an Auto for Minimum fare - its often rounded off to 30 even 50! Meters are tampered with. In fact once, after 200 meters the meter started ticking. If i do the same the distance in 3 different autos, I will get 3 different fares! Bombay is a good example of the Auto System. My travel there has never seen an Auto driver decline a journey, and charge a rupee more than the meter. It was actually a very pleasant journey. No politician will come forward and put this down in his manifesto as it is a sure vote looser. Police seem to have no control over them. Auto's road sense is by far the worst - they cut oneways, lanes and signals freely. Often they clog traffic on narrow roads as the drive and incredibly slow speeds searching for a passenger. What kind of enforcement will bring these Autos in order? Can we have PILs against them? Can we put an easier method of registering complaints?

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BlrSri,

That's a very good list of options with suitability /remarks.

There is one more simple, environment-friendly option which is missing & needs to be promoted - Cycle rickshaws or Pedicab (click the link for a futuristic design) :

[flickr-photo:id=2467233963,size=m]

Cycle-rickshaws were banned in Delhi in Chandni Chowk area - ITDP has taken up the cause of cycle-rickshaws & is fighting a case - I think they will win since the National Urban Transport Policy specifically requires such modes to be promoted.

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Remember segway? Was such a hyped hot thing a few years ago. I know these things are more like dreams for Bangalore today, but I thought these segways were small, slow and usable for use as "shared local transport". You need something slow, not so big - basically something that will be light, and unfit for dual use as long distance vehicle. A GPS based location "lock" could force these to be usable only in a designated area, then, segway, or something similarly small and light could be a good fit for local people transportation needs.

[flickr-photo:id=20752901,size=m][flickr-photo:id=2368871052,size=m]

[Note: Photos sourced from flickr] 

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I am not sure it will survive the humps and potholes we have and it also needs some skills in learing to ride that and manage in our erratic traffic..btw dont see a luggage carrying option in it! :)

Segways/cycles/bikes all need parking..so how do we stash them? Tokyo has a automated multi level cycle parking..youtube has videos on that..its all underground.

Maybe we need to look at something like that..but we need it for motorbikes..that presents a different challenge..

There are automated parking solutions similar to the one here.. http://www.palis.de/produkt_engl/produkt_engl.html that BBMP has been planning to impliment here in blr!

We need something like this customized for mobikes too!

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Now we have electric powered cycle rickshaws in Chandani chowk:
 http://www.indianexpress.com/news/chandni-chowk-to-go-green-with-solar-ricksh.../368233/

I think to charge them using solar panels may not scale up, but plain electric charging is possible...So this will be a great alternative.

Another of course will be shared radio taxies - nanos or otherwise..

Sanjay

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