public transport

Rapid urbanisation without supportive mass transit and motorisation has led to drastic increase in travel times, loss of productivity and reduced mobility access across travel modes. B.MOBILE is B.PAC’s mobility initiative that works on research, policy advocacy, stakeholder awareness in the areas of sustainable mobility, shared and pooled mobility, nonmotorised transit, para transit including related planning and infrastructure needs for providing seamless and integrated first, middle and last mile connectivity to citizens of Bengaluru. The goal is to push for sustainable mobility for all by encouraging the use of public transport and disincentivising the private vehicles usage. To understand this…

#ABetterHebbal Challenge was launched in consultation with BMRCL and DULT as a part of CiFoS’ umbrella for high impact, long-term city wide campaign called #ABetterBangalorean. Hebbal, a fast developing suburb was identified for the pilot. With an exponential rate of development in residential, work and transit density, Hebbal is seeing one of the worst traffic congestions. A new Metro line is being provisioned and being an axis for the North-South & East-West it attracts huge bus traffic as well. #ABetterHebbal Challenge invited citizens to bring about ideas for public transport adoption around the Hebbal rooted in strong belief that involving…

Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike, a bus commuters’ rights forum, is having a public discussion on the impact that cab aggregators like Ola, Uber have on mobility and livelihoods on 23rd August. Researchers on mobility, the gig economy, and representatives of the drivers will join them. The speakers are: Kaveri Medappa - Doctoral Researcher, University of Sussex Sudeept Maiti - Senior Manager, Integrated Transport, World Resources Institute Tanveer Pasha - President, Ola and Uber Owners and Drivers Association Event details: Date & Time: 23 August, 2019 at 6pm Venue: Vishranti Nilayam, Infantry road, Bengaluru (Opp. 'The Hindu' office) [ This article…

Mass public transit: 5 mantras to learn by rote - Or, how to answer other people's questions 1. Why do we need suburban rail in Bengaluru? #ModaluTrainBeku because suburban train connects the suburbs around the core of the city without needing to pass through the city. Circular commute, similar to a ring road. Suburban trains in India are also much cheaper than the Metro. This enables people who may be lower income earners with no choice but to live farther away from the core & commute, to do so efficiently, effectively, affordably & without causing congestion & pollution. 2. Why…

From Davanagere to Denmark, they discuss namma traffic. From Shivamogga to Sunnyvale, silk board has a reputation. But how did we get here? Could it have been avoided? We believe so. Unlike any other metro, Bengaluru did not get the benefits of a mass public transport system in all these years. Bus is our only lifeline carrying nearly 45 lakh passengers every day - with hardly 6500 buses and no attention given to it. We have the highest bus fares in the country! Metro is being built now and it will take another six years before it connects most of…

Half the city of Bengaluru travels using 6,500 buses. The other half uses 55 lakh vehicles. This data points so obviously to what we should be doing, but unfortunately, we insist on spending enormous amounts of money supporting private transport, and less than one-tenth of it supporting public transport and sustainable options. The illogic of financing urban mobility is that it is easy to get 30,000 crores for a full Metro system, or 1,000 crores each year endlessly for road-building, but we struggle to get 50 crores a year for footpaths and refuse to spend 200 crores for a Bus…

Half the city of Bengaluru travels using 6,500 buses. The other half uses 55 lakh vehicles. This data points so obviously to what we should be doing, but unfortunately, we insist on spending enormous amounts of money supporting private transport, and less than one-tenth of it supporting public transport and sustainable options. The illogic of financing urban mobility is that it is easy to get 30,000 crores for a full Metro system, or 1,000 crores each year endlessly for road-building, but we struggle to get 50 crores a year for footpaths and refuse to spend 200 crores for a Bus…

Reshmi Nagendra writes: Last evening when I was returning with 2 of my friends in my car, I had one of the worst encounters with a BMTC bus driver and the conductor of that bus(K A 0 1 F A 923, route number 213 L). The bus driver overtook us from the left side so recklessly and that left scratches in the front of the car, near the headlight. When I stopped and questioned him regarding the way he spoke , the driver straightway started addressing me in singular and used fowl language. Since I am also a localite I…

Reshmi Nagendra writes: Last evening when I was returning with 2 of my friends in my car, I had one of the worst encounters with a BMTC bus driver and the conductor of that bus(K A 0 1 F A 923, route number 213 L). The bus driver overtook us from the left side so recklessly and that left scratches in the front of the car, near the headlight. When I stopped and questioned him regarding the way he spoke , the driver straightway started addressing me in singular and used fowl language. Since I am also a localite I…

I saw this "repair" of a broken window on a Vajra (Volvo) bus.   Jugaad, or creative solutions, are all very well, but does BMTC really not have money to repair a bus properly, and have to resort to ugly solutions lik this?