BANGALORE: In accordance with the increasing population of the silicon city, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has plans to introduce 500 more buses to the existing 6,500. Here is a brief interview with KR Srinivasa, Managing Director of BMTC.The city is brimming with population. What are the future plans of BMTC?Our aim is to increase the quality of service which fulfills all the needs of commuters. We have 6,500 buses and we have plans to increase it upto 7,000. Five hundred new buses will be introduced to cope up with the increasing population.We find many of the BMTC buses been parked on roads and outside the depots? Is BMTC planning for new depots?Yes. We are planning additional depots. We have already identified the lands to set up five new depots and have invited tenders for the same. Our aim is to have fifty bus depots in total. So once the new bus depots come up, there will be no problem as all our buses would be parked inside the depots. Each new depot can accommodate 120-150 buses.Can you tell us about how the BMTC has upgraded itself?We have introduced 25 BS IV Euro buses and we are the only ones who have taken up this project at this scale with a motive to ensure better pollution-free environment. All the buses introduced from now on will be Euro 4 standard only.We have called for tenders to install all our buses with the GPS tracking technology along with electronic ticketing machines.We are also planning to set up four new works shops at different places. We have only one workshop at Shanthingar depot and it is the sole workshop which handles all the maintance related works and repairs. All buses are made ready before it goes for fitness certificates. With the new workshops, the burden on the existing one will reduce and there will be no need to bring all the buses all the way here for maintanance. In future, they can be brought here only for major repairs and I have already directed the Chief Mechanical Engineer to strengthen the existing workshop at Shantinagar to be upgraded with more infrastructure.We find that there are more buses on one route and a few on the other. Also we find two buses with the same route number chasing each other or waiting at one signal?We are working on the plans to increase our schedules and about 200-250 buses out of the 500 new buses planned to ply will be solely dedicated to new routes. Also we are planning on increasing number of trips of buses.Even we agree that there are such problems where many could have seen two buses waiting at the same signal or two buses chasing each other on roads. This is because of traffic problems. For instance on route number 335E, from Kempegowda Bus Terminal the bus frequency is very frequent. The bus which goes first could have struck in traffic and the other one which comes after that might end up at the same signal.Will the BMTC come up with integrated bus stands? Also what is BMTC’s t ake on signal free corridors which have become the talk of the city?Integrated bus stands will be a difficult thing. For instance the take Metro, they are underground, elevated etc. What we can ensure is to provide bus stops at all metro stations as a part of our metro feeder services. This will help the ones who commute by both Metro and BMTC. Signal free corridor will take time to come to reality. They are still in their conceptual stage. I have already discussed signal free corridor with BDA Commissioner. Rest will be discussed based on the investment on the corridor.Fake ticket and passes have made news in the recent past? How effectively will BMTC over come this menace?The issue of old tickets will automatically vanish once we introduce electronic ticketing machines. Even the people must co-ordinate with us to uproot this. But the issue with the fake passes have to be handled with strict action. I will take up this issue with the new BBMP Commissioner Shankar Linge Gowda who was earlier the principal secretary of transport. He would better understand the problems. Even the problems relating to relocation of bus shelters, unused bus shelters will be jointly handled by us along with the BBMP and traffic departments.Does the BMTC give heed to the suggestions and complaints lodged by the citizens?All the grievances, suggestions addressed to us either through letter or call centre will be taken into consideration. Also the ones which appear in the ‘action please’ column of the City Express has been seen and attended to.We take action against the those who behaved rudely with the commuters. They would also be called for the counseling sessions.
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