Chennai MTC Bus and other Road Transport

[arun82]

Originally Posted by madrasi7777

Unless the buses are better designed and frequency better the average office going man will never take the bus.

The average office goer wants Volvo bus at 3 rs with a frequency of 5 mins to his place still he will complain.

Increase the petrol price by another 10 RS 50% of chennnai people will trave, only in bus

[Leo_r]

Young men will prefer a regular pickup and drop at his home by an airconditioned Car..
Only congestion tax Rs 25 for two wheelers and Rs 100 for four wheelers will drive them to Public Transport.

[ramsrr]

Originally Posted by mr_madras

They hardly introduced new routes in mogappair east & west terminus. They may discontinue M41C and itroduce new route as M141c or 241C to mylapore instead of thiruvanmiyur. same think will happen to K70 volvo and it will become K70 dlx to tambaram with some extra trips. the new route may be one service of M70A(Avadi-CMBT) will run thro west & east instead of golden flats. lets wait and see.

Already they discontinued 41C(Mugappair West to Thiruavanmiyur, via Amjikarai, Chetpet) bus route 5 yrs back instead of that currently they are running 1 bus in 141C from Elango Nagar to Madaiveli via Anna Arch.

Similarly they introduced 20H from Ambattur Karuku to CMBT. This bus runs morning 2 times & Evening 2 times via Ambattur Industrial Estate, Mugappair West & East. This bus runs only for few months. After that this route has become suspended.

People cant wait for a long time for 1 bus in single route. This is the major reason that these routes are becoming suspended. Both Mugappair West & East needs more number of buses to Avadi, Tambaram or Velachery via CMBT. If they introduced only one bus means it become utter waste. Atleast there must be an 1 bus for every half an hour. Then only it become useful for people.


After introduction of new bus only we know how far it will be useful for people depends upon the new bus routes & its number of trips. Let we wait and see...

[dr_thapalathy]

Originally Posted by arun82

The average office goer wants Volvo bus at 3 rs with a frequency of 5 mins to his place still he will complain.

Increase the petrol price by another 10 RS 50% of chennnai people will trave, only in bus

Originally Posted by Leo_r

Young men will prefer a regular pickup and drop at his home by an airconditioned Car..
Only congestion tax Rs 25 for two wheelers and Rs 100 for four wheelers will drive them to Public Transport.

When there were 10 Volvos with MTC, the patronage was too low.
The patronage increased a bit when they experimented with 30 Volvos...
Now, the patronage is really good with 100 Volvos on road... It has achieved its peak in OMR and other important routes like 21G, 114 and 70A.
So, other routes will achieve its peak occupancy when more buses are inducted to its fleet...
This will really reduce the car population on Chennai roads...

[mr_madras]

Why MTC is not running busses on Bypass road between amb/avdi/redhils & Tambaram?
Even there is no share auto plying on this road!
is there any real reason behind this?
why this kolaveri?

[wlbkng]

There are no access roads to the bypass road except at Porur and Maduravoyal b/w Irumbilyur and Ambattur. (Also this is access controlled toll road). So its hard for people to commute between their localities and bypass road making the possible patronage really low.

[mr_madras]

Originally Posted by wlbkng

There are no access roads to the bypass road except at Porur and Maduravoyal b/w Irumbilyur and Ambattur. (Also this is access controlled toll road). So its hard for people to commute between their localities and bypass road making the possible patronage really low.

There is service road both side between ambattur tel exchange & Maduravoyal and then onwards one side service road except on porur lake.
now they can run express services between amm & tamb with stops at nolambur,Maduravoyal.
mini bus between porur & estate will definitely worth try.

[murlee]

Bus commute in rapid forward mode
OFFICIALS FAVOUR BUS PROJECT OVER FLYOVER IDEA, EXAMINE 25-KM ALONG IT CORRIDOR

If all goes according to plan, Chennai may be the fourth city in the country after Pune, Delhi and Ahmedabad to have a bus rapid transport system (BRTS). With the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) having submitted to the government a study on 230km of possible routes on city roads for the system, an expert committee is now looking at the feasibility of the system along a 25km stretch of the IT Corridor.

While a series of flyovers along the same route is also under consideration as an alternative, officials are reportedly in favour of the BRTS system. “If not BRTS, there is the option of constructing five flyovers at successive junctions starting at Tidel Park or a single elevated expressway covering all these junctions,” said a member of the expert committee.

The ITDP report, which had identified 88km for the first phase, said nearly 8,000 people commute by buses along the IT corridor during peak hours. “Around 26% of these commuters occupy 64% of the 41-metre-wide road. There has to be equitable distribution of road space and BRTS is the obvious choice,” said Shreya Gadepalli of ITDP.

The ITDP study showed that MTC and private buses occupy only 16% of the road but accounted for 63% of the commuters. Under the BRTS plan, about 30% of the road width will be dedicated to pedestrians, 30% to BRTS, and 40% to carriageway for other vehicles. According to the MTC, ticket sales show that most commuters working in the IT Corridor travel there from Mylapore, Saidapet, Velachery and Tiruvanmiyur. There is considerable traffic on the road connecting Thoraipakkam and Chromepet as well.

Officials say that though the project makes sense, it may not be easy to implement it as well as Ahmedabad has. “In Ahmedabad, the pr mented by a single agency, Ahme Corporation. In Chennai, the highw Tamil Nadu Road Development Com Metropolitan Development Area a tion of Chennai will have to work in principal transport secretary T Pr ra Rao, who visited Ahmedabad study the BRTS model there, told TOI. “This could be difficult. But the idea is good.”

The BRTS system will be able to cater to 2.2 lakh passenger trips every day. The north zone of phase one of BRTS will be on Grand Sou ern Trunk Road. MTC ticket sales sh that Guindy is the transit point fo commuters travelling to and from CMBT in Koyambedu and Parry’s Corner. It would also connect St Thomas Mount and Ambattur. This route has a demand of 5.4 lakh passenger trips every day. In the first phase, the whole network will need 300 buses, each around 18 metres long with a passe ger capacity of 150. The older bu operating in the city are 12 metres l

While the proposal for BRT submitted by the ITDP, a US-base port advocacy company last ye Louis Berger Group, another US firm that provides engineering, tecture, programme and constr ment submitted the proposal f Members of the government exper from the highways department, Indian Institute of Technology, CMDA, MTC and the Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Ltd.

FAST-MOVING CITY
IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT 8,000 PEOPLE COMMUTE ON BUSES ALONG THE IT CORRIDOR DURING PEAK HOUR AREA OF
230km
studied for BRTS PHASE-1
covers
88km ESTIMATED COST 1.5cr/km
Width of the stretch along OMR will be 41 metres with 40% space dedicated for the carriageway, and 30% each for the BRTS and street development
The first phase will require 300 buses that are 18 metres long and can carry 150 passengers
There will be 7.6 lakh passenger trips per day
On the OMR, 16% of the road space is used by MTC and private buses which caters to 63% of commuters
Private vehicles use 64% of road space while catering to only 26% of commuters

NEW-AGE COMMUTE BRTS INVOLVES ADEQUATE PLANNING AND INTEGRATION OF TRAFFIC DISCIPLINE


Dedicated bus lanes to increase bus speed from the current average of 6kmph
Bus stop surface and the floor of the bus will be at the same level. This improves accessibility for the young, the old and the disabled, and also reduces time taken for boarding
While a passengers takes three seconds to board high-floor buses with narrow doors, it takes only 0.5 seconds for at-level boarding with wide doors. This
increases end-to-end speed
by 40% and reduces maintenance cost by 15%
Passengers should be able to buy the ticket at the bus stop rather than inside the bus.
Sometimes, the driver halts the bus so that conductor can ensure all commuters have paid the fare, thereby affecting speed
Routes should be planned and designed studying the current scenario in existing bus routes
From concept to building to operation, it takes only three years to set up a BRTS
Apart from improving the corridor, there should be
extensive street design ensuring convenience and safety of pedestrians
Buses should be clean and contemporary so that it attracts more passengers

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...&ViewMode=HTML

[murlee]

HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Will Chennai make the speed test?

The Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) has had mixed results in different cities in the country. While it is regarded a major success in Ahmedabad, the Pune experiment turned out to be a nightmare, with several accidents on BRTS lanes due to inadequate planning. In Delhi, too, BRTS did not live up to the expectations of its proponents.

Experts say the reason the system failed in Delhi and Pune was because it was assumed that BRTS simply means providing dedicated bus lanes. “The essence of BRTS is to use the efficiency of a metro and the flexibility of a bus. Sadly, neither was there enough planning nor was efficiency taken into consideration,” said Shreya Gadepalli of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). There was simply no organisation in terms of ticketing, boarding and availability of information or flexibility in terms of routes.

In Delhi, while the average length of one bus trip was 9 km, the BRTS stretch was just 5 km long. “It was not visible,” said Gadepalli. In Pune, the BRTS was even shorter with just 5 km of the Pune-Satara Road being used. There has to be a process of route rationalisation through which the BRTS can supplement existing bus routes, experts say. “One has to study existing pattern and come up with a comprehensive plan,” Gadepalli said.

The Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation have ordered 650 new buses and will change BRTS operations according to recommendations by ITDP, which has studied the existing routes. Pune’s new BRTS plan will be implemented over 140 km of the city’s roads.

According to studies, a commuter takes three seconds to step aboard a bus that has a high floor and narrow door. While this may not sound like a long period, when many commuters attempt to get on a bus, it makes vehicle halts much longer. In the buses in Ahmedabad, the doors are wide with the floor almost at the same level as the bus stop. The average time taken to step on the bus is 0.5 seconds.

“Such basic modifications to vehicles or footpaths not only make commuting easier, but the transport corporation saves 15% on costs and point-topoint speed increases by 40%,” Gadepalli said. This allows the corporation to increase frequency on some routes earn more income.

But the most important aspect is getting people to use the system. “Perception is very important. There has to be a sense of hygiene and commuters should help keep vehicles clean so others are comfortable with using public transport,” said Gadepalli.

Speaking at the recently held international conference Municipalika at the Chennai Trade Centre, Dilipkumar Mahajan, deputy commissioner, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, said BRTS became a huge success in the Gujarat capital because all these factors were considered. “Though the tickets cost thrice as much as ordinary bus fare, 1 lakh passengers now use BRTS every day. The 45-km system passes through 80% of the localities occupied by the lower-middle class,” he said. The BRTS network in Ahmedabad will slowly be extended to 89km.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...&ViewMode=HTML

[murlee]

Now, a mobile application for MTC information

During his frequent visits to Chennai, Bangalore-based T.Skandha faced a peculiar problem. He was bent on using public transport to get around the city, but had no clue which bus to take or how to find the direction to the nearest train station.

So he went back home and developed a mobile App called ‘Chennai MTC Info.' It gives details of Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus routes, the source and destination of all buses and their stops, journey time and even the fare. The Android App is free and once downloaded it does not require an Internet connection.

“In almost every Indian city, there is no clarity on how to use public transport. It is especially difficult for a newcomer. In Chennai, if you don't know the language, you can easily get lost,” Mr.Skandha says.

Such mechanisms for encouraging route planning were part of the commitment that the MTC gave to the Union government in 2009 when over 1,000 new buses were procured under the JNNURM scheme. But, passenger-friendly services such as information kiosks selling booklets, a 24/7 call centre and SMS-based alerts never took off. Where government agencies have failed, private developers like Mr. Skandha have stepped in.

Android's Open Source framework has also helped as it brings down the initial cost involved. In the last few months, a number of public transit-centric mobile Apps have started showing up. For example, the ‘Chennai TrainDroid' and ‘Chennai Train TimeTable' provide the entire train operation schedule of all the six suburban railway lines that branch out from the city. On an average, over 10 lakh commuters use the train services daily.

“In sustainable cities, a majority of the population uses public transit,” Mr.Skandha says. “But, there will always be an initial settling time. Traffic conditions are forcing many Chennaiites to look at public transit favourably, but they have no idea how to start using it. Mobile applications are already the future and people should have access to live data and information,” he adds.

Guru Shankar, who co-developed ‘Chennai TrainDroid,' says: “Mumbai's suburban system has 13 different mobile Apps. There is a lot of demand in Chennai too. Nearly 1,000 users have downloaded our App within two weeks of the launch. It is high time government agencies got involved. Most successful public transport systems abroad already have official mobile Apps.”

The next big leap would be to provide real-time information on bus and train movements to commuters, Mr.Skandha says. “If you look at a number of cities in the U.S. or Singapore, such real-time data is already available.” In India, many cities installed GPS modules in public transit buses in 2008. He says that since taxpayer money funded the project, they should be able to access the data, even through their mobile phones. “Right now, MTC's official website does not even have the entire list of bus routes and the operational timetable. If they are not adopting the latest technologies, they can enable others to do it.”

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper...cle2841652.ece

[murlee]

After fare hike, MTC revenue goes up, patronage plummets

Chennai: Three months after the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) increased the fares, its revenue has gone up, but the patronage has dropped.

While the earning per km hasincreasedfrom 20to 28,the daily revenue has gone up from 2.2 crore per day to 3.1 crorre. Alternatively, the number of passengers has gone down from 56 lakh to 52 lakh. This “lean period” has been longer than what the officials had expected. The corporation’s overall revenue has increased by 43%though the are structure was designed for a 50% growth. They, however, remain confidentof winning back commuters. “We didn’t expect the public resistance to go beyond a week. Weshouldstabilise by April,” said an official.

Statistics from Southern Railway show there has been a jump of 9% in revenue after MTCincreaseditsfares. “People will soon realise that MTC is the most convenient way to commute. And when the original numbers return, we expect our revenue to go up further,” an MTCofficialsaid.

Sitting pretty on new income, senior officials say there is no need for changes in route rationalisation, a scientific method to study individual routes. The method looks into factors like passenger demand, frequency of buses and peak timing based on stage-wise information from ticket sales. Based on this, new routes may be added, removed or modified. Officials say it has been more than 10 years since such a study, last done by Pallavan Transport Consultancy Services. Experts say the study has to be done at least once in five years to be efficientwith available resources.

“There are many changes in terms of land use and movement of people. Earlier, Parry’s Corner was the hub. But now it is CMBT in Koyambedu. Developing areas also have to be kept in mind,” said a professor in the division of transportation engineering,Anna University.

With the city expanding, commuters in the suburbs are the worst-hit. “There are few buses that ply to even areas like T Nagar,” said K K Karthikeyan of Nanganallur.

“Corporations will think of rationalisation only when there is a loss. As of now, there is no problem and we can safely continueworking,” saidtheofficial. The government, meanwhile, is considering a proposal to increase the MTC fleet size from 3,400to5,000.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...&ViewMode=HTML

[wlbkng]

Originally Posted by murlee

Now, a mobile application for MTC information



http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper...cle2841652.ece

Kannan/Arul,

Suggestion given by SSC-TN??

[anekho]

I'd prefer BRTS over flyovers on the OMR. Flyovers are such an eyesore. If the BRTS looks like the one in A'bad (but with Volvos) it'll be brilliant.

[arun82]

Originally Posted by murlee

Bus commute in rapid forward mode
OFFICIALS FAVOUR BUS PROJECT OVER FLYOVER IDEA, EXAMINE 25-KM ALONG IT CORRIDOR





http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...&ViewMode=HTML

TNRDC will not allow the Goose that lays Golden egg to be killed. I wonder how they allow the Volvos in that road.

[arun82]

Originally Posted by anekho

I'd prefer BRTS over flyovers on the OMR. Flyovers are such an eyesore. If the BRTS looks like the one in A'bad (but with Volvos) it'll be brilliant.

Unlike other cities Chennai roads are very narrow. Most of the main roads inside the city are 4 lane road. So building a BRTS will be a tough one. many be they can put BRTS in GST road from Chengalpet to Guindy. With Metro alignment it is not possible for BRTS in ANNASALAI and IRR.

[murlee]

Originally Posted by arun82

Unlike other cities Chennai roads are very narrow.

Nope.. On the contrary, Chennai's arterial roads are on par or wider than most cities..

[dr_thapalathy]

Originally Posted by murlee

Bus commute in rapid forward mode
OFFICIALS FAVOUR BUS PROJECT OVER FLYOVER IDEA, EXAMINE 25-KM ALONG IT CORRIDOR

Again a poor planning by the officials.

When there is a Metro construction going on between Parrys - CMBT - Guindy corridor and a proposed metro corridor in CMBT - Ambattur corridor that also links up parrys, what is the need of BRTS North corridor? Also, when there are proposed Mono-rail corridors linking Tambaram - Velachery, what is the need of Thoraipakkam - Chrompet corridor?

Also, Guindy - Tambaram stretch has EMUs running along and Mylapore - Thiruvanmyur - Velachery stretch has MRTS along it. So, again, there wont be any good patronage in this stretch.

Better they implement a BRTS corridor in Madhya Kailash - Siruseri corridor and strengthen it with feeder buses.

[saurabh85]

Originally Posted by anekho

I'd prefer BRTS over flyovers on the OMR. Flyovers are such an eyesore. If the BRTS looks like the one in A'bad (but with Volvos) it'll be brilliant.

BRTS or no BRTS, flyovers have to be built!!! We have to make intersections signal free as much as possible to enhance road capacity. Sure BRTS might take a few cars off the road but there will always be growth in vehicular traffic. The lack of flyovers at critical junctions is the reason for many of the traffic jams in the city. Wish there was a flyover at madhya kailash to start with.

[Lakshmanan87]

Originally Posted by saurabh85

BRTS or no BRTS, flyovers have to be built!!! We have to make intersections signal free as much as possible to enhance road capacity. Sure BRTS might take a few cars off the road but there will always be growth in vehicular traffic. The lack of flyovers at critical junctions is the reason for many of the traffic jams in the city. Wish there was a flyover at madhya kailash to start with.

But it wont happen...... 1st thing perugudi toll should be removed since it comes under chennai corp.... 2nd thing no service line road from SRP to Siruseri.... 3nd in TN we cant expect a flyover or a Express road within a short peroid:-) I am here at OMR since 1997 and this IT express way started in the year of 2002 more than 10 years the project is on progress....

[anekho]

Originally Posted by saurabh85

BRTS or no BRTS, flyovers have to be built!!! We have to make intersections signal free as much as possible to enhance road capacity. Sure BRTS might take a few cars off the road but there will always be growth in vehicular traffic. The lack of flyovers at critical junctions is the reason for many of the traffic jams in the city. Wish there was a flyover at madhya kailash to start with.

Somehow I've never been a big fan of flyovers as a solution to traffic at intersections. Mainly because they are (most of the time) eyesores, never properly lit underneath, and in many ways bottlenecks (the slow autos, share autos trying to climb them).

Also what do we do when the flyovers get clogged with traffic? Almost all the flyovers in the city are at max two lane. Won't be long till they reach their saturation point.

I think we need a long-term approach. A network of underground highways that connect all major parts of the city, maybe?