[sinharishi]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

I am a bit confused. Did you intend to say last 15 minutes of your journey? If not, what happens after 15 minutes? is it one of those jump seats in the standing area?
Just curious, we dont have a metro here in Pune. so not sure how it is designed there

I need to change the metro line after the first 15 mins of the journey.I board the blue line(Light blue on the map) from the starting point(marked in red) get down at the intersection point of yellow and blue line(Marked in Red) and take the yellow line to my stop(Again marked in red)

[rosh_aveo1.4]

Well, I usually take an auto from anywhere close by my home and go to the bus stop and take the Volvo bus to office. Beats the hassle of driving in traffic, finding parking space and yes, for the savings (Rs.20 for the auto and 14 for the bus vs Rs.200 or more for petrol costs in a single day). I return by office cab that drops me right in front of my home (that service is available only during return trips).
The plus points...I no longer worry about fuel costs and drive lavishly on weekends with family (considering I have low mileage petrol cars at home).
But if I don't get the auto at times (and that has been happening quite frequently these days), yes, it's a pain to go by public transport.

[aneezan]

I used to take the bus to work two years back. There was nothing more convenient. My office is about 7 KM from home. Volvos and other BMTC buses stop right outside home and office. Not much traffic on the route and in the area.
Fast forward to today, all above are still the case, however, numerous changes both at work and home have led to me taking the car.
- My work hours have become very flexible.
- Different work locations within a week.
- Have to drop my wife at her office and my son at the day-care, both which require long walks from the bus stop.


Our long distance travels however have remained on Public Mode. Our trips from Bangalore to Nagercoil/Trivandrum are usually by train. Only when tickets are not available do we take our car(Alto).

[Gansan]

Taking public transport is not much of a problem if you live along the Beach - Tambaram suburban route in Chennai. I take the EMU whenever I could. Which is at least twice a week.

Very fast, not too crowded, and dirt cheap. Costs ~ Rs 240.00 for three months. If you need a bit more exclusivity, pay thrice the amount and get a first class pass. My home and office are about a KM away from the station. If I don't feel like walking, I get a share auto for Rs 10.00. My office is 13 KM from home, and the train covers it in 18 minutes. Nothing else can match that.

I wish I am able to use it daily. Lot of people who work in the IT companies at Mahindra City too take the EMU daily. They have free pick-up from the Paranur station. I think it is the case with techies living on the MRTS route too, who take it to reach the IT corridor.

[interest]

I stay in Delhi (Dwarka) and commute to Gurgaon. While I have metro station at a walking distance from my home, I cant use the metro because there is no direct connectivity to Gurgaon from Dwarka. I would have to trave in the opposite direction by the Blue Line, all the way to CP and then take the Yellow line to Gurgaon. This exercise would take me close to 2 hours against 45min-1hr by car. It would also mean I am jostling for space against sweaty, stinking public at large when I could have easily been enjoying the comfort of my car. I am a big believer in public transport but frankly, it needs to be planned in such a manner that the public is able to travel door to door in a dignified manner (not standing on one leg and sweating like pigs). Besides as others have already pointed out, walking is not an option in most Indian cities during summer and rainy season. I think the only way the government can encourage public transport is by a) building better footpaths and ensuring they remain encroachment free b) inducting more air conditioned buses, taxis etc c) making sure autos and taxis remain honest and dont decline customers d) making use of private transport costly (however this should be done only when the preceeding steps have been implemented.

[TurboGuru]

Background: I stay in HSR, sector # 2 & travel to Bannerghatta road 5 days a week.
Scenario # 1 (Bitten by Go Green Bug): Leave home @ 8:30 AM > walk ~ 2 kM to board Volvo > Transit @ Jaydeva Flyover (5 mins walk) > wait for Volvo for infinite time without any success > Request Auto Raja for a 2 kM ride with appropriate fare (which he will agree if in good mode ) > Reach office @ 9:15 AM (Provided traffic god has grace). Time Spent ~ 45 (To) + 60 (Fro) mins, Money Spent ~ 80 - 90 INR

Scenario # 2 (Bitten by Petrol Head Bug): Crank the good old M800 @ 8:30 AM > Reach Office by 8:50 AM. Time Spent ~ 20 (To) + 30 (Fro) mins, Money Spent ~ 80 - 90 INR

Saving: ~ 1 hr (which i can happily spen in Gym) + Harassment (from Bus conductor for not offering exact change, Auto drivers) + risk of getting robbed of you wallet/ mobile. to be cont. in next post

Now any one please tell me why should i take public transport !

[odyssey045]

I have always found suburban train/metro train to be a lot lot more comfortable, how much ever crowded they might be compared to public road transport.. Be it the crowded metro trains of delhi or the electric trains of mumbai/chennai, they are just far too convenient than other modes of transport.. The only minus point is the last mile connectivity. My favorite mode has always been walking compared to autos or taxis for if the distance is not more than a couple of kms.. Given that most of us sit in our chairs through the day, this atleast gives us an opportunity to exercise our legs.. Its also invariably much faster than taking your car out on the crowded roads..

Unfortunately bangalore just has a showpiece good for nothing metro for now..

[luvDriving]

I cannot remember the last time I travelled by PMPL. It was PMT back in 2002 when I used to travel from Bibwewadi to Thermax in Nigdi. I had to travel from Bibwewadi till PMC and then change at PMC to board a bus travelling to Nigdi. The return journey was mostly standing till PMC.

In the last few months of my bus travel I switched to a two-wheeler till PMC and then by bus. My main grouse is that there just isn't enough connectivity - leave Nigdi, there is next to zero connectivity from Bibwewadi to say Paud Road or Kothrud. For any decent location you need to travel till Swargate and then change buses. I am also not able to understand the logic behind sending buses to same destination on the same route one after the other ! Routinely I see 3 buses one after the other all travelling to Swargate or Shivajinagar. The first bus is full, other two nearly empty.

A while ago there was a good move to introduce mini-buses with more frequency on routes with less distance. But this fizzled out. Now the BRT is a huge mess - the metro is coming, numerous flyovers and underpasses are being constructed. All in all its a huge nightmare for the pedestrian / daily bus commuter and the end is nowhere in sight.

[sandeepmohan]

Stuck in a very similar situation as many of the Bangalore folks. I work fixed hours from 7am-4pm.

I travel from Cox Town to ITPL, Whitefield. One way is about 14km. I can take a bus but connectivity is not direct. Possibly two or three buses all the way. Volvo buses do not even exist on this route for the most part. I live at the far end of Cox Town which is near the railway underpass which leads to Jevanahalli. There is a bus stop and it is only a 100mtr walk from my apartment. Bus No. MBBS8 (Don't ask me about MBBS) & 412 is my ticket to reach Isolation Bus stop on Old Madras Road. I can then catch a bus from here. Frequency from Isolation to Tin Factory and then on to Whitefield is very good. The problem is timing. Those two buses that connect me from Cox Town to Old Madras Road are very unpredictable.

On the return, to beat traffic, I take a massive detour from ITPL via Kadugodi, then on to State Highway 35, hang a left at Kattanallur Gate and head down National Highway 4 or Old Madras Road, pass KR Puram Market signal, over KR Puram Bridge, get on to Ring Road, then in to Kasturi Nagar, Jaya Bharath Nagar, Jevanahalli and finally Cox Town. 28km in total. It is an epic journey that takes me an hour (Sometimes less) and on most days it is a free run all the way. I have to admit that this route works out only on the bike. I drive a petrol car. Will be way too expensive to use on this route. As for using a bus. I can. It just might take a heck of a lot longer and I will surely have to change four buses. Once again, no Volvo service for 80% of the distance (I am all right with using even the regular bus). BMTC started Volvo service from Majestic to Hoskote. Once again, getting this bus is a hit or miss. At times, the journey is cut short to Kadugodi bus stand if there are just a couple of folk in the bus.

My biggest complaint is dealing with the conductor.They are always out of change (Coins. Yeah right) and you need to be behind them to get it back. They also get moody when you ask for it especially when its time to get down as they are in a hurry to leave. Not my problem. The bus pass option will work but this means I need to surrender my ITPL car parking pass which is on the house by my employer (Very nice of them).

Let us not even begin to discuss the situation if it were to rain. No bus turns up.

ITPL operate their own BMTC hired buses from Cox Town to ITPL. This is a really good initiative. The problem is with my work hours which don't match up to the departure time of the bus from Cox Town. Then there is the problem of reaching the starting bus stop from my house. A minimum Rs. 20 expense by rick or a km walk. It is good for me (the walk) but I am already doing a 4km stroll early morning and don't have time for another one.

There is one location where I do use the bus. My family does too. That is to Commercial Street. This is one place where parking is next to impossible and I hate parking my car in tight spaces. The bus is super convenient. Bus No. 127. I take the bus from the second stop of its journey start so we always get a place to sit.

That is my story. I am not against public transport at all. If it is hassle free to use, I would surely hop on to one.

I do have the option to catch a train from Bangalore East to Whitefield. The problem is train timings don't match well with my work hours.

[Desmosedici]

When i started working, obviously i was earning less and the distance was also more so i 'had' to use the Local Trains to travel. I absolutely used to hate getting on to those. Carrying your bag, taking care of your wallet / mobile, getting smashed in between people, someones hair with smelly oil coming right into your nose (Yuck) and many more issues was the reason for my hatred.

Now train is not an option as i need to travel from the Western Suburbs till the Central (Thankgod!!!)

One way distance - 15kms
Modes available - Bus / Rick / Personal Vehicle
Time Taken - 50 Mins to 75 Mins

Bus is also out of question as the bus stop is a km away so will first have to take a rick, then take a bus, then take a company shuttle to reach office plus buses are also packed nowadays.

So the most obvious option was to drive which i used to but then driving at speeds of 10 - 20kmph on potholes was not something i look forward to.

So now i have switched to hailing ricks to reach office. The only hassle is getting one but since the distance from my home to office is 15kms, most rick drivers nod their heads as its easy money in 1 hour. I find it pretty good. Instead of navigating through the traffic, bad roads, cops, rash bikers, impatient pedestraints and other assorted idiots on the road, i now leave it to the rick driver while i sit back and enjoy my music, check emails, fb, whatsapp etc. My mind and body are at peace.

However i still make it a point to drive on atleast one day so that my car gets it dose of exercise for the week.

Public transport is not that great but at times helps in situations like mine.

[tsk1979]

I always try to take the Metro in Delhi, provided there is no changeover required.
The problem is that the metro is designed like a Star system. So often, stations like Rajiv Chowk have so much rush just to get inside the station means 30 minutes.
At many other stations too there is 1 X-Ray machine. This means, the station next to my office has a line to get in the station starting outside the station. Just to get to the security area takes close to 25 minutes. Then you have to get in line for the train, and often 2-3 trains go by before you can even get a foot in the door.
What the govt needs to do is create multiple security checkpoints. This way during rush hour additional personnel can do security check.

Also the star design needs to be reworked. Right now it often means people have to travel one hour in opposite direction, which defeats the purpose.

A single changeover point means that during rush hour changing trains is a nightmare.
Those who have tried to get down at chandni chowk or railway station during rush hour will understand what I mean.

Delhi metro is an excellent model, but for the population density, its too little. Automatic signalling and ticket counting systems which computerize train frequency according to rush can decongest the metro to a large degree.
If a ring metro is built such that it connects Ghaziabad-Noida-Faridabad-Gurgaon-north Delhi, it will decongest the changeover stations. A lot of traffic in Delhi is along the ring roads. A ring metro will mean many people will start taking metro instead of cars. Right now these people need 2 changes which means a 2 hours+ or even 4 hour commute in Rush hour if trains are even slightly delayed.

[Karthik_S]

I've always wanted to use public transport but it is just impractical to rely on it if there are office hours or any appointments to keep.

My reasons for not taking public transport
a. Few direct buses to where one wants to go
b. Fewer connecting routes that are reliable
c. The idea of having to hang on to dear life and office valuables when in an auto or bus
d. The morbid fear of missing the last connection if you leave office after 7 PM
e. Irrational auto prices (and drivers!)
f. Absolutely no privacy to run a conversation (official or personal)
g. Far too many people trying to peep over your shoulder to see what you are doing with your phone/tablet or laptop
h. The idea of having to get into an argument with bums who insist on sitting on ladies seats everyday

A simple cost comparison shows me that my diesel hatchback is cheaper to run and use to work than

And yes I live in namma Bengauru!

OT - The commute was so bad last year that I actually quit my job. It affected my work-life balance and quality of work. But all this for another thread ...

[VaahanYogi]

Glanced through the posts before mine and the majority wants to avoid public transport citing time consumption as the major deterrent. Going by the posts, it is clear that mass transportation, be it public (govt run) or private (company sponsored), kills time.

[noopster]

Public transport in Indian cities caters only to those who cannot afford autos/taxis or their own vehicles. 'Nuff said.

One morning in Mumbai recently I tried to take a bus from Goregoan to Versova on the Link Road (distance of about 5 km). Waited 20 minutes, only two buses went by, one without stopping and the other too full to get into. To save time I started walking in the direction I was targeting. After a while I panicked and started looking for an auto. Each and every one that passed me was full. After 15 minutes of walking I finally found one that was empty and hopped in. It took me another half hour to reach my destination.

Reflecting over it I thought it made more sense to invest in a good pair of walking shoes and cover the distance on foot. It would probably take the same time, give me some much-needed exercise and preserve my peace of mind at least.

On the other hand, on the same day it took me 15 minutes to reach Dadar from Andheri, a distance of some 15 km, which it has taken me over two hours to cover using my car. It wasn't the most comfortable but it was cheap and reliable.

So it's a double-edged sword really. But there is no doubting that our authorities need to take an "If you build it, they will come" attitude towards public transportation.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by noopster

Public transport in Indian cities caters only to those who cannot afford autos/taxis or their own vehicles. 'Nuff said.

On the other hand, on the same day it took me 15 minutes to reach Dadar from Andheri, a distance of some 15 km, which it has taken me over two hours to cover using my car. It wasn't the most comfortable but it was cheap and reliable.

So it's a double-edged sword really. But there is no doubting that our authorities need to take an "If you build it, they will come" attitude towards public transportation.

Tell me, what mode of transport did you use to achieve this singular feat of 15 minutes between Dadar and Andheri?
I do agree that if our authorities create the transportation infrastructure of a certain comfort and quality level which is maintained in a consistent, clean manner, then many of us would indeed leave our private vehicles at home!