Hindu carried a news item on BMTC's plan to rationalize some of its service specifically on the 5 Corridors.

"... The corporation expects more passengers as the buses will ply at a high frequency. Similarly, the number of routes on which AC Suvarna is being operated is to be reduced from 20 to eight, the official said.

BMTC feels that the five corridors on which buses operated on high frequency during Bus Days could be the potential routes for increasing the frequency.

If not for profit, BMTC hopes to at least recover the cost of operation with this move.

With the corporation reducing the premium monthly pass rates from Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 1,250, the sale has picked up and nearly 6,000 passes are purchasedevery month, said another BMTC official...."

For more, Read Here - http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/26/stories/2010042659210300.htm

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Today I was stunned when I took 500K from Kattriguppe to Marathalli. Regular fare used to be 26 rupees which has now become 45 rupees. Everyone in the bus was talking about the same and thinking of alternatives such as Bike or Car or taking normal buses only.

This sudden doubling of fares is a very bad move by BMTC quoting some unsensible reasons such as route rationalization blah blah.

Currently the frequency of 500K series has decreased than what it used to be. For example, in the morning time I used to get a bus at 7, 7:20,7:30,7:40,7:50, 8:00, 8:10 and so on. Now I have only at 7:30, 7:50, 8:00. Almost all the offices near Marathalli are starting now at  around 8:00 AM. This low frequency of buses during peak requirement as well as huge increase in fare will make a regular commuter to think twice before stepping to Vajra. BTM was the place where all the ITPL bound Volvos were getting crowded, today crowd was very less.

On the other hand, travel by normal buses is also not comfortaable. Drivers do not stop in stops, expect people to board the bus when the bus is moving, crowd in non-AC environment will make travel a mess.

 All these factors put a doubt of successful bus day this month. Just campaign without proper service will be just e sake campaign.

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 Well, what I saw regarding the Bus Day is only on bus days BMTC increases frequencies especially during morning. When I stand in bus stop near home to catch company bus between 7:00 to around 7:10 am, only on Bus Days a 500K appears, not other days!!

On bus days, frequency of buses after 10:30 am is nil since all the buses will be pushed towards IT areas. Those who wants to start afterwards has to struggle.

Many buses stop their journey halfway such as 500K becoming 500C and stopping at Banashankari.

We know BMTC will incur losses, but, upcoming Metro has to run trains at a frequency irrespective of people travelling or not. What if they follow same rule?

Consistent frequency and schedule is what commuter needs and it needs to be persistent not just on Bus Days.

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Hi,

BMTC should decrease fares and not increase fares. Now with recent increase in Volvo and Suvarna prices people tend to increase more of their own vehicles.

Car/bike is much cheaper than BMTC bus. The target of BMTC is to attract people travelling in car/auto to Volvo bus and not the other way!!!!. There was no need to increase fares of Suvarna bus at all. This bus has no AC, no fans working then why the people must pay more price for this bus ?

BMTC is targetting shorter distance fare to min Rs10 which is a kind of loot. For just 3-4 stops fare is now increased to Rs9. If this goes on like this all people will stop using BMTC and will start using bike/cars.

Instead of purcahsing more Volvo and increasing fares BMTC must target to get more local buses and run with less fares. If frequency of local buses increases normally rush will decrease and hence people travelling in mass transport will increase.

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Now that the a.c. bus fares are increased , thus reducing losses, BMTC should reduce the fares of ordinary buses which have gone beyond the reach of urban poor, labour, vendors etc., to the level of neighbouring States like Tamilnadu.

K.V.Pathy

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 In last meeting with BMTC we suggested this. So that public know there are extra buses for extra people who choose buses.

Two other points:

a) create a special lottery system for tickets/day passes on bus day .

b) give concession on tickets/ daily passes only on bus day.

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I request srivathsa to post other points also discuussed in the last meeting.

K.V.Pathy

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