When BMTC are not able to plan buses to the existing City/ Cantt. .etc.   Rly. Stations, is it not too much to expect them to plan for the future?

K.V.Pathy

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I COULD NOT CREATE A NEW TOPIC SO I ADDED A COMMENT IN THE CLOSEST SECTION

I'm writing in from Dallas, Texas where I am currently on a couple of months Training assignment. I use the Commuter system called DART and found some interesting lessons that perhaps can be shared with the BMTC and Namma Metro folks who can implement what fits in with our city's ethos, viability and pre-determined plans.

Firstly the Trains are normal metro trains that have between 2 to 6 coaches depending on rush hour or not. The system utilizes light rail trains manufactured by Kinki Sharyo, with all trains converted to "Super" LRVs which feature level boarding (especially convenient for strollers and wheelchairs) and higher passenger capacity. I could be wrong but it looks like they run on standard guage. What is very interesting is that the stations are very ordinary and simple - clean yes but not elaborate. I think our Hi-Tech stations planned may be very fancy but they are an expensive infrastructure that would not be missed as I noticed in the dart system.

Tickets are sold through vending machines that accept various notes and coins and passes are available as single rides, day , weekly, monthly and annual passes. All passes can be used on the DART busses as well!

But the main reason of this blog is to showcase last mile connectivity that we are all debating about back home. The DART busses that begin at all stations run into the east and west neighbourhoods but interestingly they dont run back-and-forth from a station but actually loop in a way that they begin at one station and terminate at the other while going interior to the various areas. What this means is that commuters can use the bus at either direction to reach a station.

For example in context of our Metro, lets say you took a metro train and got off at the Ulsoor Station you would find a bus that began at the station headed towards ulsoor lake, naga theatre, commercial street, cubbon road and to the MG road station and back. Thereby allowing commuters to get in at either direction and reaching the metro station. I do this all the time here in Dallas - I dont look at the direction the bus is going - knowing fully well it terminates at a DART rail station.

Other interesting characteristics is the park and ride facilities, well communicated schedules and (well adhered to schedules). Dependability of the schedules etc.

In downtown Dallas the trains actually slow down and use the same roads that the cars use - the descpline is impeccable. I understand this is something we cannot really do back home but its just a note. The railway level crossings are automatic and very basic with just a small bar across the crossing - so it works fast and effeciently.

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 found some interesting lessons that perhaps can be shared 

Thanks for sharing, its important to share best practices we see across the world. I mentioned this earlier. Not all administrators and municipal workers in India have seen or can travel to most parts of the globe where the new economy folks like us have been to and experienced. This is where Praja allows us to share and debate various practices which can be adapted for our country (maybe not verbatim). Even the few administrators who go only get to go do so very superficially and cant notice the pitfalls and experiences that long term use brings. It helps to put up pictures as well if possible. I always try to attach pictures to demonstrate and share what I experience.

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Wankhede Stadium is a cricket stadium that was established in 1975. Nobody knew that a dispute between the Cricket Club of India (CCI) and Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) would result into the largest cricket stadium in Mumbai. In 1973, a dispute over ticket allocations cropped up, after the test match between India and England. It became so severe that S.K. Wankhede (a politician and the Secretary of MCA) instantly took the decision of making a new stadium at Churchgate in South Mumbai (or Bombay).

Live cricket score

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BMRCL and BMTC should have meetings and work on Last mile connectivity now itself. From the western, southwestern and north western portion of Bangalore, we should have one route number with 2-3 buses linking directly to stadium to best utilize the Metro reach 1. It will substitute the CRS train travel between SBC - KR. Puram/Byappanahalli with a frequency.  On the Eastern side also we need the same thing. Byappanahalli Station has got a huge Parking of 3,500 cars.

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From nelamangla and Yelahanka we already have the Big-10 services passing close to the railway station at chinnaswamy stadium. South has good connectivity to Shivajinagar but it must be improved from all places in the southern region. Being in the main part of the city,the connectivity to this railway station is not a major hinderance. However when Byappanhalli terminus becomes operational,regular bus services must start from Banasadi,Kalyan nagar,C.V.Raman nagar and jeevan bhimanagar areas so as to utilize the train effectively. 

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BMRCL had requested for around 50 battery operated buses by BMTC to work as feeder, but BMTC said it can run only Diesel buses:

http://bangalorebuzz.blogspot.com/2010/06/metro-drained-of-battery-run-bus-plan.html

Why not fuel cell buses like the ones operated in London and other European companies. Tata motors is already testing fuel cell buses, http://buscoachindia.com/news-and-event.htm. Why not BMTC be the first to have it:

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"Tata motors is already testing fuel cell buses..Why not BMTC be the first to have it"

We tried their Marcopolo and found them almost duds..so guess we should not experiment more..let their tech mature and we can then contemplate!

Btw liked Clives thougths in his post up here(http://praja.in/en/~bangalore/discuss/forums/2009/06/buses-link-cricket-stadium-byappanahalli-reach-1-metro-link#comment-16724).

Guess we need to have bus routes planned as described in his post..connecting one metro station to the other..so that users can be assured that they end up at a metro station anyway!

One thing that may be different here in Blr is the ticket prices..they need to remain the same for both stations..

As we know most metros abroad have one standard ticket cost for any distance..but guess we will do the stage wise costing or something like that..hence the busses route design too should take care of this, I suppose.

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