For the first time, BMTC has introduced depot boundaries that would exist with the BBMP department boundaries for easy coordination with local government units and resident welfare associations (RWAs).
This will allow the creation of a new system to effectively plan transportation and solve problems faced by buses, such as parking.
Until now, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC)’s 50 depots in and around the city functioned independently of the departments in planning and maintaining bus routes. Now the BMTC has prepared a jurisdiction map for any depot that would include departments or a local government. In addition to providing a single point of contact for the public, the new system aims to promote cross-agency cross-learning.
“Depot managers participate in committee meetings in their respective departments. They will work with councilors and other officials in the district to come up with solutions to problems related to the BMTC,” said Surya Sen, Director (IT), BMTC.
The BBMP will be encouraged to include depot managers on district committees. They are informed of meeting dates and send the minutes of the meeting to the relevant depot managers for further action.
The district committee meeting will establish a formal channel of communication between the public and the BMTC. Bringing councilors, public and depot managers together into one structure also helps nip in the bud teething problems such as unauthorized parking, which creates bottlenecks and slows bus movements.
An open dialogue with the public will help the BMTC get a sense of passenger needs, especially on routes where they have bus shortages and service shortfalls, Sen said.
“The aim is to shed light on the demands of our passengers. Since transportation is a big part of city government, the initiative allows councilors to work with the BMTC on short- and long-term strategies,” the official noted.
Custom buses
The Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike has asked BMTC to hold a busadalat.
Shaheen Shasa, one of the forum’s organizers, had noted that the lack of such interactions means the BMTC will continue to plan its activities without understanding the needs of the commuters.