[condor]

".. for all the brickbats it receives .. " Agree with @mazda4life. BMTC is still doing a good job. There are things that are not visible to the common man that BMTC is upto. Apart from the IT systems etc that @mazda4life mentioned, there are things like the GPS tracking, the high FE (both BMTC & KSRTC), the low accident rates, etc that are worth appreciation.

Originally Posted by mazda4life

first off ...for all the brickbats it receives , BMTC and KSRTC are one of the most forward looking public sector undertakings. But, having been their consultant in circa 2000-01 for their business processes and also ERP backbone , ..

Might be it merits a separate thread just to talk about the systems and data backbone that integrate the B2B supply chain (booking to bus depot operations).

@Mazda4Life, can you share your knowledge ? You could even do it on this thread itself. There's lot of things that we wont be aware of, including the IT systems that support it, the GPS tracking, the high FE that the busses achieve etc.

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

I might be wrong, but it was the first time i saw Air conditioned Volvos (the red buses) in Bangalore, i am not sure if they were the first ones to start such a service in India.

I think they were the first in the country to introduce Volvo's into city service.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

but I have a major grouse with the way the ticket prices are decided. I pay Rs. 30 from Marathahalli to ITPL (8kms) and Rs. 50 for ITPL to BTM (23 kms). The ticket pricing is very aggressive for short distances but relatively economical for long distances. But again, that is why they make such profits!

You possibly crossed 2 extra stages, compared to the Marathalli - ITPL section ?

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Also, I feel the manner in which the Volvos are driven, a few years down the line, BMTC is going to spend a bomb on maintenance.

BMTC / KSRTC buses are still amongst the best maintained in the country.

Originally Posted by srishiva

It was mentioned a while ago that less rich people subsidize the richer guys for BMTC. They do indeed incur losses on Volvos. But its covered by other buses.

very much possible.

**

And I really appreciate the way the drivers go about. It may be their job, but I still think they do it well. For eg, I have come to expect them to show signals as they drive about. There are odd bad drivers, some average ones, many may stop in a way that they block traffic, but many still follow the rules, and I often give them way - my way of silent help as they go about their duty.

[souravc]

This thread caught my attention because it concerns BMTC financial performance - I had a chance to see the details of their finances in 2006 and suffice it to say that it was not even passable . We were trying to work a financing arrangement for BMTC to buy 100 Volvo buses under export credit agency financing from the Swedish Exim equivalent bank (EKN). I am not too sure that things would have improved much now , given the high interest rate scenario ( BMTC's is balance sheet is loaded with debt, some from banks, some from state govt agencies ).
Advertisement revenues for any of the state run corporation buses is just a trickle - all those hyped up OOH dreams have been proven hyped up indeed.

I guess the reality would be closer to the attached report from Hindu
The Hindu : Cities / Bangalore : BMTC profits going in reverse gear

[coolclouds]

With my little experience with BMTC,

Most Volvo drivers are well behaved whereas several regular bus drivers are arrogant/rash

Those single door buses with driver cum conductor are dangerous and another reason for traffic blocks

BMTC buses are very expensive for short travel but comfortable for long routes/pass holders.

They are good in building commercial buildings which will help them in future with good revenues

BMTC is doing justice to students with concession.

I, several times avoided BMTC as I am not able to read local language. Wish they use 72 pt Kannada and 12 pt English letters for destination boards

Several drivers are happy to issue passes in the morning but many of they do not want to take a pass holder in the evening (for an ordinary bus)

They are much interested in contract with IT companies. You will not see most of the Marcopolo buses for public during peak hours as they will be carrying employees.

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

With my little experience with BMTC,

Those single door buses with driver cum conductor are dangerous and another reason for traffic blocks

They issue tickets on-the-fly so are a possible threat to road users. Maybe it is better to allow passholders only in this single door buses.

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by RenuKumar

...
Kudos to BMTC for considering the launch of Hybrid Volvos...

BMTC is not going to launch Hybrid Volvo's.They will be given for trial by the Volvo. (Infact I am not sure that they even will get Hybrid's as the 7700's shown in AE is a LH drive from china. I think they will get 7400 XL )This is similar to what TM/AL have operated earlier with BEST/DTC.

But their forward looking is to be appreciated for the fact that they have actually ordered for hybrid buses from Leyland, which are worth more than a crore. This shows that BMTC is always ahead of times!

Originally Posted by srishiva

Guys, BMTC Volvos run under losses. But ordinary buses produce profits. So combined, the corporation is under profit. IT routes make more money and only during office going hours.

This has been published many times in newspapers as and when Transport Minister or transport officials keep talking about it.

Yes, many Volvo services run by STU's are not making profits, due the higher maintenance costs. But there is a strong pull from commuters and so STU's are also preferring the same.

[crank2giri]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

As a former owner, I am shocked at the figures. Revenues are grossly inadequate.
===========
Unlike long distance / luxury / intercity services, wear and tear for intra city buses is high, with the constant braking, stop and go traffic, clutch riding, etc. Accidents / skirmishes too will be very high.

I totally agree and am afraid the thing about BMTC Volvos running at a loss is true. I have worked with another Major Indian CV manufacturer and the cost of running and maintaining Volvos high compared to the revenue that they generate. But I did not come across such an analysis.. Smart..

Will somebody be kind enough to post the stats sheet in here for other Transport Authorities. I am looking for Passengers Carried / day of each city's transport authority.

Thanks Guys.

[am1m]

I understand how tough it is to run a service like BMTC. And I'm pretty sure the systems they use are advanced and all that. But as a passenger, I'm still deeply dissatisfied.

I've tried several times to ditch my bike in favor of taking the bus to work. Getting to work is never the issue, I always get a bus. But getting back is another story altogether. Suddenly, all those route number 314s that are there every 10 minutes in the morning dry up after 5:30 PM. I've tried leaving early, leaving late, but never seem to get a bus back as easily as I do getting one to the office.

When the metro started, I tried that as well, using the feeder buses to get to and from the metro stations. Didn't even mind the 1 km walk from the stations; was better than dealing with the idiots who compose a large part of the city's traffic everyday. But after a couple of weeks, the feeder buses too stopped.

Now I'm back to the bike, hoping that once the metro extends to Vidhana Soudha, I can at least use the bike to get to the Byapanahalli metro station and then cut across Cubbon Park to get to work. I've given up on BMTC.

[Autokrat]

Originally Posted by poloman

These loss stories are floated for public consumption to justify the high charges in volvos. .

Doesn't look to be so. The volvo services if considered separately does not seem to break even. The reason why BMTC continue to buy volvos could be something else. Once could just be official patronage with political blessings- since the company is in their backyard. If the services are so profitable, I wonder why the same model does not seem to work in other cities.

[speed kills]

Looks like the Volvos have finally come out of the red

BMTC’s Volvo buses enter profit era - Bangalore - DNA

[tharian]

A nice short article in todays Deccan Herald on the vehicle type history of BMTC.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...us-museum.html

[SlowRider]

The Volvos may or may not be profitable on their own, but they do serve an extra purpose. The comfort of air-conditioning will prompt many commuters to leave their personal vehicles (cars or two-wheelers) at home.
To be honest, I think what we really need is more air-conditioned, low-floor buses from the likes of Ashok Leyland and TATA that don't cost as much as the Volvos to run and maintain but do offer most of the advantages that tempt people to leave their cars home.

[Ashley2]

With Banagalore Metro­politan Transport Corpor­ation’s AC Volvo bus not bringing in enough profits the city’s transport provider may cut down on its procurement and divert funds towards more profitable routes. However, sources add that for this year BMTC has plans to add more AC buses.
BMTC had rolled out AC Volvo buses in 2008 and till 2011 its total losses were Rs 55 crore. However by 2012, they showed signs of posting marginal profits. But with an increase in the fares this year, the patronage for these buses have fallen nearly 50 per cent, especially during non-peak hours

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/13090...ack-new-volvos