BMTC cuts bus breakdowns by half to boost reliability

Over the past year, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation has brought down the number of daily bus breakdowns from 142 to about 35 to make itself a reliable player in Bengaluru's competitive public transport sector.

BMTC officials said the emphasis was on getting the basics right to ensure quality services. About 850 trips were disrupted or cancelled every day due to the breakdown of buses, affecting the plans of thousands of passengers.

BMTC Managing Director V Ponnuraj said nearly half of the breakdowns could be avoided and that effective maintenance at depot level had given the results. "Several measures are being taken up simultaneously to ensure the quality of buses. Our aim is to achieve zero breakdowns in the near future," he said.

Official data shows that bus breakdowns were reduced by 10,000 in 2017-18, with the numbers further decreasing to 35 a day after March from 142 per day of last year's average.

To spruce up the buses, various models are being worked out. Tenders have been called to outsource the labour portion of the cleaning process at two depots. Officials said passengers could help them by lodging complaints about the lack of cleanliness. The BMTC app has a feedback window where such issues can be raised.

App to check bus health

The corporation will go a step further and introduce an app to track vehicle health management. The app is being tested in the Jayanagar depot.

"Once the vehicle defect is registered on the app, it will alert the depot instantly. Personnel from the department concerned will be on standby before the bus arrives at the depot, reducing the repair time," the official said.

The streamlined maintenance process will help avoid problems arising out of about 1,000 buses that have aged nearly seven years or more. An official from the depot said the app had got a positive response from drivers.

"The general response is that the vehicle performance has improved. The app records details like who attended the bus and the materials used. If a problem occurs repeatedly, the matter is automatically escalated to the higher-ups," he said.