Date:10/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/10/stories/2008121059590300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘Fix it and we’ll get on it’

Deepika Arwind

If buses were more reliable, Bangaloreans would find them an attractive option

— Photo: K.Gopinathan

Dependable: Many Bangaloreans prefer private vehicles as buses do not provide proper connectivity.

BANGALORE: A majority of Bangaloreans are prepared to hop on a Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus provided the services are reliable and affordable.

For some, affordability is a more important factor than convenience, while others seem to think that the question of time takes precedence over every thing else.

“I used to travel by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses till a few years back until I bought a bike, which I think is the most convenient way to get around,” says Rakshat Singh, a 27-year-old professional. According to Mr. Singh, one of the main problems he faced while taking a bus was connectivity. “Sometimes, it is just not fast enough to get to work on time,” he says.

There are others who echo his thoughts. R. Priya, a doctor in New Thippasandra, says: “I find travelling by two-wheeler dangerous in some parts of the city, but it is a good investment to make considering one cannot always rely on buses,” she adds.

But there are those for whom any other form of transport, except buses, is unaffordable. Victoria Goodwin, a domestic worker, says that autorickshaws are not an option for her, and other daily wage earners.

As far as autorickshaws are concerned, the common complaint among all sections of people is that they are too expensive. “We have the highest-charging autorickshaws in the country. A city’s public transport system needs to be effective as well as economical,” says Suresh Mukthar.

In an endeavour to lessen the city’s traffic many young people have begun to take to using the most environmental-friendly form of transport — the bicycle. Jytothirmoy and his group of eight friends, who work at different IT/software companies in the city have vowed to use a bicycle so they do not add to the pollution as well as the traffic.

“It is not the safest thing to do, because people are very impatient with cyclists sometimes. But, it is the smartest thing to do if one keeps the bigger picture in mind,” he says.