India Transportation: MRTS/Trams/Buses II

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by Raghu0307

I agree, I think in the real world its too inaccurate to implement such technologies. if the On an other note,have you noticed any such damages done by the miscreants to the recnt ac busstops.

AFAIK, there is only one AC bus stop. And that is on Kasturba Road in Bangalore. This particular bus stop is guarded by a security guard through the day. The design is too unrealistic, that the spot has become a blessing for people trying to pass time. Passengers still continue to wait under the hot sun for a bus.

The reason is, the stop has a sliding door. By the time a passenger gets up from his seat on seeing a bus, runs, opens the door and jumps out, the bus would have crossed atleast a kilometre!

To add to the injury, the bus stop is too small... about 6 seats and not more than 4 standees. Instead, a slightly bigger stop - which can take about 20-25 people, with a wider door which has an Air-curtain instead of a door, would do wonders. But, then the space becomes an issue! When can you find so much space on a pavement?

[Raghu0307]

Originally Posted by binaiks

How does (or did) the system work in UK? I mean, was it based on GPS or some other kind of connectivity?

Sorry, I missed this.. I could tell only on the lothian bus stops in edinburgh, yes they worked on gps systems. Idid see similar systems in london as well. I think they install the same bus tracking systems used in chicago

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by Raghu0307

Sorry, I missed this.. I could tell only on the lothian bus stops in edinburgh, yes they worked on gps systems. Idid see similar systems in london as well. I think they install the same bus tracking systems used in chicago

Oh! Thanks for the information...

Here is some info about the GPS system that was used in BMTC (which unfortunately did not go beyond "Pilot")

GPS bus tracker loses its way
7 Aug 2008, 0241 hrs IST, Rishikesh Bahadur Desai, TNN

BANGALORE: The BMTC’s ambitious plans to use a GPS application to track buses doesn’t seem to have worked well.
Officials introduced the
satellite-based system to monitor all buses in Bangalore and know immediately if drivers deviated from routes. However, they now find the system cannot even spot a bus parked under a bus shelter.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has rapped the BMTC for spending nearly Rs 1.5 crore on online and offline bus-tracking applications that have not yielded results.

The online application that involved fitting a small device on top of buses was tried on pilot basis. This could calculate distance travelled and time taken so it would help set up electronic display boards announcing arrival and departure timings at bus stops.
It would also ensure drivers did not deviate from fixed routes.

A satellite receiving radio signals from the On-bus Transmitter Unit would track bus movement every ten seconds. However, the system had limitations. Buses lost contact with the satellite when they moved under trees, flyovers, bridges, between high-rise buildings and when parked under a bus shelter. “The purpose of utilizing advanced technology was not served,’’ the report said.
The report says expenditure of Rs 63 lakh remained unfruitful as BMTC failed to make a thorough analysis of the system’s limitation before implementing it.

It’s not the first time BMTC is losing money in such a venture. In 1999, it introduced an offline bus-tracking facility in technical collaboration with BEL. A GPS device was installed near the bus footboard that would keep count of number of trips and distance travelled. The first batch fitted on 200 buses failed and had to be replaced. This was a manual process and required a BMTC officer to go to each bus and download data, rather impractical as each person could attend to only 30 buses a day. Real-time reports were not available.

This facility completely failed to provide any tangible advantage to BMTC, though the system was in operation for four years and discontinued in March 2003. “The entire investment of Rs 79.5 lakh was unfruitful,’’ the report said.

Transport minister R Ashok said BMTC and KSRTC would rectify errors in the present GPS system. “We learn from errors,’’ he said, adding that GPS would continue to be used with timely upgrades. “It helped two state-run transport corporations in many ways. We’re convinced we’re going in the right direction. But we need to update the technology. To ensure optimum usage, we’ll upgrade the existing system and introduce it on a large scale,” he added.

Source: The Times of India

Hope such systems start working in India....

[krinix]

I took the BIG 10 bus today. From Electronic City to Silk board. The bus was almost empty.
before I got in, there was a group of people wanting to get in, But the paint job and the pretty interiors (compared to other BMTC excluding Volvos) of the bus scared one of them into saying, this bus will charge double.
I was waiting for the Volvo, but wanted to help this group, So i jumped in front of them and queried the lady conductor, how much for madivala? She replied 10 Rs and upon hearing the price, the group promptly got into the bus. I got in too and enjoyed the windy ride checking my hair do time and again on the mirror finishes of the bus.

So as binaiks pointed out, BMTC need to advertise this wonderful service.

Another thing i noticed, The lady conductor only had two bunces of ticket, one was Rs 10 and the other I dont know?

Does Big 10 service has a round off charges?

[Kewl Batty]

Its in the name itself BIG10... 10 bucks whereever u go.. (though i mabbe wrong) sounds good..

[Tintin27]

Originally Posted by binaiks

Oh! Thanks for the information...

Here is some info about the GPS system that was used in BMTC (which unfortunately did not go beyond "Pilot")



Hope such systems start working in India....

From What I heard, The Passenger Information System for BMTC was ready 1 yr back but couldnt be installed at the bus shelters because BBMP didnt allow BMTC to install PIS at the Bus Shelters. However it seems to have resolved and the Vayu Vajra routes should see PIS soon on the major bus shelters.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by krinix

Another thing i noticed, The lady conductor only had two bunces of ticket, one was Rs 10 and the other I dont know?

Does Big 10 service has a round off charges?

Ticket fares in Big10 are Rs 5, 10 and 15. Five is the minimum fare. However, the distance allowed on the minimum fare ticket is far higher than in normal buses. From Brigade Road, till Madivala the fare is only Rs.5. Beyond its Rs. 10.

I loved the fact that almost all buses on these routes are brand new.

Originally Posted by Kewl Batty

Its in the name itself BIG10... 10 bucks whereever u go.. (though i mabbe wrong) sounds good..

Big 10 is named after "10 arterial roads". This service is intended to provide frequent bus services on 10 major roads identified by ABIDe (Agenda for Bangalore Infrastructure Development). The Roads are: Tumkur, Hosur, Bannerghatta, Kanakapura, Mysore, Bellary, Magadi, Sarjapur, Old Madras and HAL Airport.

Out of these, services have already begun on Electronic City, HAL Airport and Bannerghatta Roads. Mysore road is expected to "go live" this week. The scheme is honestly a very good initiative - but then there are some teething problems like unawareness among public, wrong choice of end points, wrong timings, etc. Awareness can be increased only by advertisements, boards at bus stops, etc.


Thanks to www.btis.in for the image...

The end points are expected to change, perhaps to provide inter-connectivity between different Big10s. The frequency is just awesome. The timings need to be tweaked - first bus leaves only past 0730. This has to be made earlier.

Daily Passes and Monthly passes (Worth Rs. 600 or more) are valid on these services.

[krinix]

Originally Posted by binaiks

Ticket fares in Big10 are Rs 5, 10 and 15. Five is the minimum fare. However, the distance allowed on the minimum fare ticket is far higher than in normal buses. From Brigade Road, till Madivala the fare is only Rs.5. Beyond its Rs. 10.

I loved the fact that almost all buses on these routes are brand new.



Big 10 is named after "10 arterial roads". This service is intended to provide frequent bus services on 10 major roads identified by ABIDe (Agenda for Bangalore Infrastructure Development). The Roads are: Tumkur, Hosur, Bannerghatta, Kanakapura, Mysore, Bellary, Magadi, Sarjapur, Old Madras and HAL Airport.



The end points are expected to change, perhaps to provide inter-connectivity between different Big10s. The frequency is just awesome. The timings need to be tweaked - first bus leaves only past 0730. This has to be made earlier.

Daily Passes and Monthly passes (Worth Rs. 600 or more) are valid on these services.

Thanks for the info binaiks. Are you from Nerul or Belapur?

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by krinix

Thanks for the info binaiks. Are you from Nerul or Belapur?

I was in Belapur (from 2001 to 2008). Now settled in Bangalore.

[sudheeshnairs]

Originally Posted by binaiks

This is the BMTC Mini Bus:

I shot this mini bus some days back at Residency Road. Seeing BMTC's 'Shopping Mall' special for the first time. The bus was pretty full

[sudheeshnairs]

BMTC's vestibule bus, at Brigade Road.



This is outer ring road, nearing Hebbal.

The bus is going pretty fast, I was driving at 80kph.

[idontspam]

Originally Posted by Tintin27

From What I heard, The Passenger Information System for BMTC was ready 1 yr back but couldnt be installed at the bus shelters because BBMP didnt allow BMTC to install PIS at the Bus Shelters. However it seems to have resolved and the Vayu Vajra routes should see PIS soon on the major bus shelters.

This PIS is to display flight schedule at the vayu vajra bus stands enroute to the Airport so you dont miss your flight

~~~
your voice at: http://praja.in

[sudheeshnairs]

At Brigade road



HAL Airport road.

[sudheeshnairs]

One bus would be parked always here, Brigade Road-Residency Road intersection.



This seems like chain service. When another bus comes, the parked one leaves

[kolkatausa]

how could someone turn such a large beautiful bus into a caddyshack with that dumb paintjob?

[sudheeshnairs]

This is a Vayu Vajra, BIAS 6, between BIAL & Kadugodi (Via HAL Airport Road)



Vajra, seems 335 E.



Vayu Vajra, BIAS 6, near HAL Airport



Vayu Vajra, BIAS 6, with Brigade wraparound, at Museum Road.

[niknak]

2 years on, country's first BRTS remains incomplete
5 Mar 2009, 0149 hrs IST, Manish Umbrajkar, TNN


PUNE: More than two years ago, Pune's Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) was inaugurated with political fanfare. The Rs 62-crore project is far from complete. A first in the country at that time-December 2006-the pilot project on the 16.5km Katraj-Swargate-Hadapsar route was started hastily, two months before the civic general elections.

Traffic experts termed it a "dedicated bus service'' and not a BRTS. The project lacked necessities, such as pedestrian ways and cycle tracks, not to mention proper bus-stops, off-board ticketing and systems to monitor bus movement.

Accidents, many fatal, occurred due to the unchecked movement of pedestrians. As the carriage width of the road was reduced due to reserving lanes for buses, the movement of other vehicles slowed down.

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), which has since then decided to complete the pilot BRTS in all aspects, stretched deadlines twice, but has still not completed it. The fresh deadline is March 31.

At a PMC general body meeting, municipal commissioner Pravinsinh Pardeshi admitted that there were problems. "No provisions were made for underpasses and pedestrian crossings,'' Pardeshi said. After the pilot project, the corporation has plans to implement the BRTS on at least 11 roads.

Incidentally, in neigbhouring Pimpri-Chinchwad, the municipal corporation has started work on a BRTS on a 13km stretch from Nigdi to Dapodi. The corporation is going slow on the project as it does not want to repeat the mistakes of Pune.

[niknak]

What is the make of this bus in BMTC's fleet? It looks really cool.

[kolkatausa]

haha yep

[rkramesh]

Travel with the star - the bus with the 3 pointed star... Pic courtsey Madhokritesh brought to SSC by cncity

You can now tell your friends that I travelled in a Merc from Mumbai to Bengaluru (Just rhetorical - Not sure if Neeta does this route with the Merc).
The most expensive and the best looking bus on sale in Bharath as of now... and arguably the most comfortable too.