Working on the move: A way to save lost time

If commuting to work is tough, could working while commuting be an answer. Perhaps, this could be a way to address the whopping 270 hours wasted by working men and women annually in traffic jams. 

Realistically, the city’s public transport infrastructure could facilitate an atmosphere that helps minimise the wastage. The city’s public transport is all about BMTC buses that ferry over 50 lakh people daily, and the Namma Metro which caters to an estimated 20,000 on its two reaches from MG Road to Baiyapannahalli and Sampige to Peenya.

To make life easier for the working professionals, Wif-Fi facility has been made available in a few BMTC buses and Namma Metro stretches. This holds the potential for a larger network that allows people to connect to their workplaces through laptops, mobiles, and tablets.

Currently, 60 BMTC buses offer wi-fi facility on the go and as per a proposal, another 140 buses will soon be equipped with this facility on major IT/BT routes such as ITPL and Hebbal-Silk Board Junction.

Director, IT, BMTC, Kumar Pushkar informs, “On 60 buses, the installation has been completed. Out of the total 200 buses that will be provided with Wi-Fi facility in the first lot, 67 buses are on the KIA route from various destinations in the city. The remaining buses will be equiped with Wi-Fi by December end. The users will be able to utilise the services and connect to internet at no additional cost. Wi-fi will also be soon available on the Hop On Hop Off service of the BMTC.”

Public response, says Pushkar, has been good so far. However, a lot will depend on the long term technological stability of this service.

Namma Metro too offers Wi-Fi services for commuters both at the stations as well as on board the coaches. However, the service is not glitch-free. BMRCL officials say the real test for the service will come in a year and a half by when the first phase is to be completed. BMRCL MD P S Kharola says, “We are aware that service on board sometimes gets affected. But we will have to wait for the response when the phase 1 is completed and people are able to use the service for a longer time.”

As of now, the average time on a Metro train from starting point to the last station on both the reaches is between 12-18 minutes. This is too less a time to access the Wi-Fi service.