Bengaluru: The BMTC has conducted a survey in consultation with DULT in Whitefield to access the requirements of that area. Based on the survey, the BMTC has now decided to introduce chakra services in Whitefield area for the internal mobility of the people.
The survey will be released for all to see on January 12, which is the date decided to mark bus day in Whitefield area.
BMTC Managing Director, Dr. Ekroop Caur says, “We studied the areas that needed our focus. We wanted to see if there were any gaps that need to be filled. Internal mobility has been an issue here so we will launch the chakra service on bus day.”
On the other hand, members of Whitefield Rising also took up their own survey to be presented to BMTC. Sundaram from Whitefield Rising says, “Our survey targets the non-users of BMTC.
We were not happy with some of the findings of the BMTC survey and we doubted a few findings, so we decided to have our own survey.
For example, the survey says there are not enough AC buses. But our findings have revealed that there are AC buses but only on the high revenue generating stretch. We are asking them to divert some to them to areas that require them.”
In the survey undertaken by Whitefield Rising, over 600 people participated. Major reasons cited by the people for not using the BMTC services were crowded buses and very few AC buses, followed by poorly maintained buses and insufficient seats.
40 percent of the people cited crowded buses as the main reason for not using buses, 26 percent said there were very few AC buses, 17 percent cited poorly maintained buses.
13 percent cited other reasons. As far as connectivity was concerned, 59 percent pointed out lack of direct connectivity, 31 percent said that there was inconvenient transfer to connecting buses, 16 percent said bus stops were located at places too far away for them to walk to.
41 percent said that buses did not arrive on time, 16 percent did not know which route took them to their destinations, 7 percent said buses did not stop at the stops.
About 22 percent people felt that the BMTC drivers indulged in rash driving, 21 percent of the people felt that night travel was not safe and 16 percent did not feel safe at the bus stops. Interestingly, 32 percent of the people felt traveling by bus was more expensive than the use of their own vehicles.
The survey also allowed people to point out the areas that required more connectivity. There were innumerable suggestions that poured in.
One among them was the connecting of Forum Mall directly to all major commercial areas like ITPL, Marathahalli-Sarjapur Outer Ring Road, Silk Board, Electronic City, MG Road and Manyata Tech Park.
They demanded direct buses to and from Kundanahalli gate to KR Puram and beyond as hundreds of people who boarded trains from KR Puram railway station had to depend on autos and taxis to reach the station and people ended up paying exorbitant rates to the drivers.
People also felt that the fare of Volvo on ITPL was unreasonable and not everyone could afford it. Other demands were connectivity for BIAL and Hoodi Circle especially Volvo buses.
BMTC efforts to increase patrons
Currently, the BMTC has 50 lakhs passengers every day. This amounts to 45 percent of the people of Bengaluru using BMTC buses.
The BMTC is aiming at increasing it to at least 60 percent. Hence, the agency is now looking to approaching private companies, colleges, schools and large government offices to get more people to use BMTC buses.
