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Riding the infoway to airport
Bangalore, June 22, DHNS:
Rides on Volvo buses plying to Bangalore International Airport is all set to rock, if the government’s promise of installing individual TV sets and Internet facility in the vehicles materialises.
All that the commuters need to do is sit back and turn on the monitor behind the seats in front of them.
They could watch music programmes, surf Internet and get updated on the arrival and departure of flights at the airport. And the best part is, the facilities come free; the commuters will not have to pay anything more than the ticket fare. They, however, will have to watch the ads of the government’s private partners who will be funding the facilities.
Transport Minister R Ashok said on Tuesday that the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) had already conducted a trial run of these facilities and had got a good response. The Corporation was now considering extending the facility to all Volvo buses, the minister said. But the officials at the BMTC seemed unaware of the transport ministry’s plans to pep up Volvo ride. Difficulties ahead
“As of now, providing television sets and Internet is difficult,” a top official said. The buses should have WiFi facility for commuters to be able to surf the Net. And so far, “nothing has been worked in this regard,” he said.
Yet it was possible to bring about changes to be able to screen entertainment and informative programmes, he said. “We have two LCD panels (19 inches) each in all buses. We have plans to make use of the panels for display of the programmes,” he said. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is in the offing between the BMTC and the South-Western Railways to introduce free mini bus services between the city railway station and the BMTC bus stand.
Passengers now have to rely on auto services to get to the bus stand. They are charged Rs 14, the minimum fare, for the half a kilometre distance between the bus stand and the railway station.
But within a week’s time, three mini buses would ply between the two stops from 5 am to 10 pm every day. The Corporation is also planning to launch bus services from Yeshwanthpur and Cantonment railway stations to different destinations in the city and a fleet of 40 buses will be on service.
Why wont they extend metro trains till Airport, this is a one time solution & also a good mass transport mechanism, The cost of travel wil be less, time of travel is less & number of people to be transported will be more. This will reduce the pollution & traffic.
Whatever facilities you provide, if there is a traffic jam or any public rally on palace ground, none of these facilities provided on 6 wheel bus are going to give comfort.
If you are thinking.. then think bigger, think beyond present.
After a long 20 hours flight from US or Canada, all one needs is quiet ride home. It is very annoying to hear ring tones or people talking loudly on mobile phones. Now adding TV, and moniters is more annoying. "Leave me in peace"
All we need is a quiet journey home.PERIOD
Buses with short distance are needed to be equipped with internet, instead long distances buses should be equipped with WIFI for use of laptop during the journey.
It is a welcome idea. Bus service to airport giving info on flight schedules, city information, places of interest, hotels & restaurant guide, emergency contact numbers etc.. should be included. Advertisers should be encouraged to support this cause which will also benefit them
It is reported by Mr.Ashok that "..And the best part is, the facilities come free; the commuters will not have to pay anything more than the ticket fare" - Hope Mr.madhav will read the report once again and comment only for the facts ! Please check your eye sight ! Hope you do not belong to DKR family for commenting on everything !
Thanks for BMTC, for providing Internet, and music entertainment, now bangalorean can avoid autos walas and these autowalas making lot of money, just to go for a nearby place they charge more, there was a rule that after 10.00 pm the meter was 1 1/2 now they are misguiding the passanger that after 8.00 pm meter is charged 1 1/2 , we should completely avoid auto and using public transport to make bangalore pollution free, and traffic free, there are 1 lakh plus auto if they shut down we can see bangalore road free.
It should be the discretion of the individual to choose auto or a public transport, all services are needed at times. The auto owners and drivers too got to make their living as any other human being
Correct. But cars and two wheelers are polluting Bengaluru and congesting the streets. Auto drivers have a important role during emergency. They should not deny emergency services.
That is good news, however the these volvo buses that are in service for only just over a year, need to be maintained, as most fo them look 10 years old already,Dirty inside, dents on the side scratch marks, and lights damaged and not replaced. I hope when or if they install this new facility it will be looked after and after and cleaned properly.
Yes, mass transport service buses should be well maintained, clean with fresh air inside for the users to feel good to travel, with prompt service on scheduled timings will encourage users and opt out to use own transport
City information, flight schedule display, news highlights, useful info for visitors should be enough to keep passenger busy for the distance to and airport, songs things like that will be out of place for short distance travel
Excellent ! It is the most welcome measure and I am sure the first time in India ! This is the type of the progress that we look for and CONGRATULATIONS TO BJP FOR INNOVATIVE PROPOSALS !
