Fewer BMTC buses breaking down on Bengaluru roads

Fewer BMTC buses are breaking down on Bengaluru’s roads now compared with last year, resulting in a significant improvement in the performance of vehicles. The traffic police and commuters alike have recognised the change on roads.

Following a set of measures introduced over the past year, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is subjecting its buses to thorough checks and is computerising the repair schedules to understand the pattern of breakdowns.

“The personnel at the depot are more careful in their work as checks and balances have been put in place. If an issue crops up repeatedly, the repair is evaluated to see whether they are contributing to the factor,” a depot manager said.

The number of breakdowns came down to 1,228 in June, a decline of 68.38% compared with 3,884 breakdowns seen in the same month last year. “There are two types of breakdowns, the minor one that can be fixed on the road and the major one that needs the bus to be taken to the depot. We have seen a decline in both these numbers,” a senior BMTC official said. Traffic police in Electronics City, which witnessed regular traffic snarls owing to the breakdown of BMTC buses, said the change had been visible on the roads. “Especially over the past five months, the breakdown of buses has become a rare thing. Once a bus breaks down, it creates artificial traffic jams and we have seen it even in the afternoons when we struggled to move traffic,” he said.

While there is no shortage of complaints against the BMTC on social media, some people also recognised the improvement. “There has been a significant improvement in the BMTC’s efficiency between KR Puram and Iblur on the Outer Ring Road as well as on Old Airport Road. The breakdown has become a once-in-three weeks affair,” said Clement Jayakumar, a resident of Doddanekkundi. M Narayan, who travels between Yashwantpur and Nelamangala, said mere reducing breakdowns would not help the BMTC. “Dedicated bus lanes are needed to communicate to the public that those who take public transport can travel faster. Rules have to be framed to discourage the use of private vehicles within the city,” he said.

‘Rationalise services’

Jayakumar, also a member of Doddanekkundi Rising, a citizen activism platform, said the BMTC should improve its services on Doddanekkundi-Airport Road and Alpine Eco Road. “Officials should study people’s travel pattern and ply buses based on demand. On the Outer Ring Road, three buses of the same route come at the same time followed by a gap of hours,” he said.