S Praveen Dhaneshkar, D H News Service, Bangalore:
Forty Volvo buses with frequency of 10-15 minutes each will ply to Devanahalli.
So what if the roads to BIAL are still on the drawing boards? The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is ready with the detailed routes and rate card for its air-conditioned Volvo “Airport buses,” promising a smooth ride to Devanahalli.
The BMTC has released the fares of the soon to be introduced ‘Airport Bus Service’ to BIAL, connecting the airport from eight locations of the city. “Forty Volvo buses with frequency of 10-15 minutes each will ply to Devanahalli. It would offer the commuter value for money, comfort and safety and reduce travel time” said Dastagir Sherieff, Chief Traffic Manager (Operations) BMTC.
The first batch of the ‘Airport Bus’ is expected to be delivered to BMTC by Volvo during the first or second week of March. These buses will be numbered as BIAL 1 to 7 for the first seven routes that are expected to hit the roads in the last week of March.
ROUTE TO BIAL
* Electronic City: Seven buses via Bommanahalli, Silk Board, Agara, Maratahali, K R Puram Railway Station, Hebbl, Yelahanka (Outer Ring Road)
* J P Nagar 6th Phase: Five buses via Jayanagar 4th Block, Lalbagh, Corporation, Cauvery Bhavan, Vidhana Soudha, High Grounds (Le Meridian, Windsor Manor Sheraton, Hotel Grand Ashoka), Guttahalli, Mekhri Circle, Hebbal and Yelahanka
* MCTC on Mysore Road: Five buses via Vijayanagar, Rajajinagar 1st Block, Yeshwantpur Bus Station, Malleshwaram Bus Station, Sadashivanagar Circle, Hebbal and Yelahanka
* Whitefield: Five buses via ITPL, Mahadevapura, K R Pura Railway Station, B Channasandra, Kalyan Nagar, Hebbal and Yelahanka
* Jeevan Bima Nagar: Five buses via Indiranagar, Halasoor, M G Road (Taj Residency, Hotel Oberoi), Indian Express, J C Nagar, Mekhri Circle, Hebbal and Yelahanka
* Koramangala: Five buses via Diary Circle, Shanthi Nagar Bus Station, Richmond Circle (Hotel Chancery Pavillion, Ramanashree, Woodlands, Bowring Club, Bangalore Club), J C Nagar, R T Nagar, CBI Office, Hebbal and Yelahanka
* HAL Airport: Five buses via HAL, Suranjandas Road, Indiranagar, Old Madras Road, MEG Centre, Coles Park, St John’s Road, J C Nagar, Mekhri Circle, Hebbal and Yelahanka
Will there be bus for each destination every fifteen minutes or shall the pasenger have to wait hours looking for his bus to arrive. Will it accomodate the large baggage carried by international passengers. Will the fare be reasonable. Do we have also these buses connecting back to the Airport from various destinations in the city. Is this service 24hrs a day.
by Chidananda on 2/12/2008 1:19:51 PM
The best options are (1) setup dedicated centers in each area with saftey measures, pre paid taxies/autos etc., The bus should only stop in these centers and not anywhere else. No need of multiple
stops in each area, just one stop per area is good. (2) Ferry people home from BIAL in a mini buses like Swaraj Mazda 16 or 32 seaters or any other good mini buses, poeple won't mind paying even if it costs
bit more for alightning at their door steps safely.
by Chidananda on 2/12/2008 1:10:51 PM
To what extent the alightning stops are safe?
How would people especially woman with children, elderly & young woman
cooperate with such stops in night? Assuming if protection need be given
I think it is highly impossible for Police Dept to post one constable to each of
these stops. This open up a can of worms as touts, conman and all sorts
of people fool around to make quick bucks once this route is operationl. If someone has to wait for us to pick up, how safe in night to wait? (2/3)
by Chidandna on 2/12/2008 1:09:44 PM
The routes seems to have determined assuming people walk to their home
after alightning from bus, however, I don't think everybody would reside
very next to or near to bus stops as everyone need to depend on either
auto, taxi or someone picking up. After having travelled a long in flight
I don't believe anyone would like to walk even carrying luggage even
if it is walkable distance due to security issues.
by Chidananda on 2/12/2008 1:05:07 PM
To what extent the alightning stops are safe? How would people especially woman with children, elderly & young woman cooperate with such stops in night? Assuming if protection need be given
I think it is highly impossible for Police Dept to post one constable to each of
these stops. This open up a can of worms as touts, conman and all sorts of people fool around to make quick bucks once this route is operationl. If someone has to wait to pick us up in night, how safe is this place to wait?...2
by Sreenath Venkataraman on 2/12/2008 1:04:54 PM
The idea of running buses regularly from the Airport is great but again has the transportation department allocated dedicated bus lanes for the routes. If not i guess the delays will put people off from utilising the service. It is a good idea if the stops were known and i guess the idea will be more appealing if the aiport pick up and drop off was free for passengers with air tickets or boarding passes.
by Suki on 2/12/2008 10:49:57 AM
I feel BMTC management, should study similar service provided in large cities (London, Paris, NY, etc), use the learnings and implement it in Bangalore.
If BMTC have to keep up the time, they need to now request for dedicated BUS LANES, where ever possible (As it impossible to get dedicated lanes within the city)
For those who are interested, here is one such service provided in UK.
http://www.railair.com/
Cheers
Suki
by NYK on 2/12/2008 6:46:11 AM
Implement this plan:
Volvo buses to AIRPORT looks like OK. But they should be 24x7 until all the flights have arrived and departed.
There should be atleast ONE BUS 24x7 from these PACKETS of VOLVO buses to carry passengers to their ultimate designation. These can be VOLVO too.
International travellers can pay fees on both ways as one has to reach their homes by TAXI or AUTO. Instead GOVT can subsidize the rates a little bit and give comfort to passengers for travel.
by karunakaran on 2/12/2008 5:03:32 AM
Will there be night service ? If yes till what time the volvo buses would ply?
This will not help the NRI Who has get down in some Place and take a Auto Riskaw to Reach Home.Pl do something which will help the Travellor to reach its home directly. Otherwise Small Luxury Busess(omni)to pick twenty persons and drop to their home.What you are do is just for domestic travell Even though the Domestic Travler will not travel in the Vovlo Bus which is go to stop in a Particular Place from their he has to take other means of Transportation.Instead Bis Vovlo opt for Omni Luxury
by Govinda on 2/12/2008 4:15:18 AM
Instead of having different routes - all the BIAL buses can terminate in Shivajinagar or Majestic and then BMTC can give connectivity from these places. This is how it works in other big cities around the world and this will increase the frequency to the airport.
by Sree on 2/12/2008 3:59:35 AM
- How much is the fare?
- What happens if bus gets delayed will the
flights be on hold until we check in.
Sree
by Varghese on 2/12/2008 2:17:04 AM
I am proposing to travel back from Bangalore in the first week of April. Will these buses be available by then to catch early morning international flights?
by srinidhi on 2/12/2008 2:06:35 AM
..and they will all get stuck at the cauvery junction trying to negotiate the U-turn!
by abdul on 2/11/2008 10:13:39 PM
what will be the time taken to travel through these spots to the new airport and what will be frequency of these buses and will the service be available round the clock because usually there will be delay in the incoming flights from various destinations over all good decision from BMTC
what will be the time taken to travel through these spots to the new airport and what will be frequency of these buses and will the service be available round the clock because usually there will be delay in the incoming flights from various destinations
