JOIN USThe buses in the City are always crowded especially during peak hours. And technological advancements have made them an ideal choice for advertisers!
Buses with advertisements splashed across them (especially on top of the windows) are a common sight now. Be it admissions or instant food, commuters can be rest assured that they are aware of everything new in the market. However, with this comes a major problem. The commuters who are standing have to bend down and strain themselves to look out. This leaves them exhausted and many a time, they end up missing their destination.
A regular traveller by bus, Snehal, a second-year degree student of journalism from MS Ramaiah Degree College, has faced many issues thanks to the ads on buses. “In crowded buses, it’s anyway tough to look out. One can never say which road the bus is going to take. And the ads on them add to the problem. Once, I was travelling from my home in Peenya to my college in Mathikere and I missed my stop thanks to these ads. I had to get down at the next stop, which is the Kendriya Vidyalaya stop in Yeshwanthpur and come back all the way,” she laments.
For advertisers, buses are a good medium to advertise as Shahab from Grey Apple Advertising points out.
“They are a very clear and visible medium. So they prove to be a good platform to advertise. But yes, ads do cause an inconvenience to commuters. They curtail the view of the commuters, who end up feeling claustrophobic. It’s very important for a commuter to have an outside view,” he notes. He feels that AC buses are a better bet for advertisements.
Vinayak, who works with Myntra and travels from Nelamangala to Kudlu Gate near Silk Board Junction, agrees. “Some of the BMTC buses are horribly designed. And when you have ads on top of the windows, it becomes all the more inconvenient for passengers. However, Volvos are spacious so you don’t face much of a problem in those,” he notes. He has a suggestion for the authorities. “It would be better if they advertise below the windows instead of on top. That space will catch the attention of the commuters too,” he adds.
However, these ads are helpful in generating revenue for the BMTC. Says Anjum Parwez, the managing director of BMTC, “Of the 7000 buses that ply on the roads, only 1500 to 2000 have ads on them. Besides, the windows are wide enough in most buses. Also in many buses now, there is an announcement for the next stop.” He informs that 3500 buses have this facility as of now and the BMTC plans to increase the number.
“The advertisements help us collect at least Rs 8 to ten crores a year. This in turn reduces the burden on the customers. We also have to think of the overall benefits of the organisation,” he sums up.