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Old 22nd September 2013, 16:40   #76
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Re: Why I don't use Public Transport

The reason I don't use public transport is my work and the timings that I work in. The place I work is 56 kms (one way) far from the place I stay and it is a village with public transport available only till half the distance post which only share auto's ply. My company is located on the Hyderabad-Mumbai highway and with high speed buses, these share auto's are NOT safe at all. Wish I had better connectivity and safer options I don't mind choosing the public transport than drive 112 kms a day.

More over I work in all the three shifts so public transports exists only from 06:00 am to 11:00 pm and their frequency is low on the routes I ply so I use my car for the commute. Not that I am against public transport but there has to be proper system and standardization of their availability at all the times they operate.

It has been around three years since I have started working and I have clocked 101096 kms only for my work --> Home and vice -versa.

But as a Team-BHP'ian I justify the sticker on the rear hatch of my Ritz: Live to Drive!

Anurag.
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Old 22nd September 2013, 19:03   #77
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Originally Posted by a4anurag View Post
The reason I don't use public transport is my work and the timings that I work in. The place I work is 56 kms (one way) far from the place I stay and it is a village with public transport available only till half the distance post which only share auto's ply. My company is located on the Hyderabad-Mumbai highway atch of my Ritz: Live to Drive! Anurag.

Doesn't the company have a bus?
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Old 24th September 2013, 17:02   #78
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Originally Posted by shankar.balan View Post

Doesn't the company have a bus?
It has, but the starting point is 70% far from the place I stay.

Anurag.
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Old 24th September 2013, 17:20   #79
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Re: Why I don't use Public Transport

Giving valid excuses is one thing; making a virtue of avoiding public transport is another!

All things said and done, will it not be a good initiative if we all avoid taking our vehicles out at least once a week?
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Old 1st October 2013, 00:23   #80
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Re: Why I don't use Public Transport

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Originally Posted by Gansan View Post
All things said and done, will it not be a good initiative if we all avoid taking our vehicles out at least once a week?
My house owner takes his car once a week and I do exactly mutually opposite. Average, from our house (building), we use only 50%... Kidding!!!.

Your idea is good, if we try do it on Fridays, I am sure it will help the people who use public transport to leave city for weekend.
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Old 3rd January 2014, 00:37   #81
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Re: Why I don't use Public Transport

with incontrol. Have recently moved to a place near my office and I just love the extra time & peace of mind I get. A friend of mine has a nice house in Sahakarnagar, off Bellary road, but stays in Old airport road just to avoid the traffic hassle. Monetarily its the same since the rent from the own house is almost equal to rent she pays + savings on transport cost.

The main problems with BMTC is lack of last mile connectivity, need to change multiple buses on non-ring road services. Pick pocketing is also rampant. We may think that it is just on the regular services, but few incident here & there are picking up in Volvo too. Sometimes have observed some good but helpless conductors giving an open warning to all as soon as some regular pick pockets get into the bus. I stopped using BMTC services mainly because I was pick pocketed 4 times. More than the money it is mentally very frustrating.

Am able to use the Volvo service 335E only when I have official work in the central business district. During Non peak hours the buses are normally empty & the time taken by a Volvo is almost same as the car.
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Old 3rd January 2014, 13:49   #82
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Re: Why I don't use Public Transport

I believe that a robust public transport is essential for any city, even more so in cities such as Bangalore, where the distances are often greater than 25 kms (one way). I would love to use Public transport.
However the place I live (Shantinagar) and I work (near Graphite India) I would need to walk atleast 2kms to get a bus, and then suffer through 1.5 hours of pain of standing. I drive to work, its faster and the cost is slightly more but it is clearly offset by the time saved. In the evenings the time can taken could be over 2 hours, atleast.
However, if we had a decent metro over here, I would take that every single day.

I wonder however, the delay in Bangalore Metro is deliberate - on order to make people buy more and more bikes and cars - govt gets more revenue (to undertake study tours to exotic locations and Auto companies earn more - again more tax to the govt (to..)) Just a thought.
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Old 3rd January 2014, 14:06   #83
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Re: Why I don't use Public Transport

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Originally Posted by pratyush6 View Post
I believe that a robust public transport is essential for any city, even more so in cities such as Bangalore
I agree. Though there are buses plying in most of the roads, the interior areas aren't so well connected. I believe, the BMTC can take a cue from the recent addition of mini-buses by the MTC Chennai and improve the feeder services.

Quote:
I wonder however, the delay in Bangalore Metro is deliberate ...
I won't be surprised. It's an open secret that the big car makers are the reason there's hardly any public transport in Detroit, and not a dense passenger rail network in the entire US.
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Old 3rd January 2014, 15:28   #84
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Re: Why I don't use Public Transport

Yes Pratyush, the govt on one side advises us to leave behind some fossil fuels for our future generation and at the same time promotes private transport.

Everything is done only with vested interests. The East India Company (EIC) helped in establishing the foundation of Indian railways (IR) and even today that constitutes a majority of IR's network. But the underlying motive of EIC was to make profits from the Indian soil. In the same way, most of the upgrades that now happens to the IR infrastructure, is only done keeping the political requirements in mind.

It hurts to consume fuel in a single car, but as we see the meagre cost differential is hardly a deterrent, given the pain we undergo while using Public transport. We 'live to drive' but atleast in bangalore, driving=grinding.

The Plans for Bangalore Metro Phase -I, hardly touches 50% of the Bangalore within Outer ring roads (ORR). Then we have a large population living beyond the ORR too. By the time Phase I is completed, the Phase-II that covers some parts beyond ORR - would be obsolete

Also, I feel that car pooling amongst corporate India has not been quite successful, mainly due to difference in work-timings. Its no longer just 9 to 5 isn't.
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Old 24th January 2014, 17:15   #85
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Re: Why I don't use Public Transport

In Gurgaon it is good to use your own car, because of the following reasons:
1. First and the foremost, If you have to go anywhere other than metro route. Hiring an auto for even a small distance will cost you about 60-80 INR. This too depends on what hour of the day you tend to go. In the evening, auto drivers can rob you for 100 INR for the same route. At times when you have to take an auto rickshaw, make sure that the fellow driving the auto is not a haryanvi, simply because they dont know how to talk and if things go wrong they wont hesitate in getting violent. I prefer hiring an auto rickshaw driven by someone from UP Bihar.

2. Gurgaon is one of the unsafe cities I have ever been to, there have been and happening, many cases of mugging especially in the evening. One of my dear friend got mugged near HUDA city centre at around 9 PM. Even if you are in your car and waiting for someone, make sure that you have your doors locked and windows rolled up.

3. The local transport service here although present but is only run on few routes.
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Old 16th October 2014, 12:35   #86
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Re: Why I don't use Public Transport

I use public transport when work is light at office.
Why I do not use public transport -
- Time consuming.
- Less Economical (when seeking similar creature comforts)
- Last mile connectivity missing.
By car it takes about 45 minutes to travel.If taking the bus, it takes atleast 1:30. Also, will have to depend on the autos for the last 2 km of travel to reach my office at Kalyani Magnum. Taking public transport works out to be less economical for me. it would be Rs 60 + auto fare on BMTC volvo. Whereas are to travel this 15km, it would be cost me 15 x Rs 4 (Diesel economy).

One the positive, I get to walk about 3km in the evening; So some sort of physical exercise in the otherwise sedentary lifestyle.
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Old 16th October 2014, 20:40   #87
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Re: Why I don't use Public Transport

In my experience using public transport in Bangalore is difficult. Most of the time one needs to change two buses and it consumes lot of time. Bangalore seriously lacks a commuter rail service, which will make things a lot easier.

In Chennai I commute to office at least twice a week by EMU train. No sweat. First and last mile connectivity are good, but I prefer to walk those stretches while returning home in the evening.
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Old 16th October 2014, 20:44   #88
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Re: Why I don't use Public Transport

Bangalore public bus routes are terrible. One needs to walk a to get a bus and need to walk a lot to reach the destination too.

Hope the Metro system is centralised and busses act as feeders.
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Old 16th October 2014, 21:10   #89
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Re: Why I don't use Public Transport

Currently, in our country, the public transport is not yet efficient due to its challenges with governance, timings, maintenance, routes, inducing demand, connectivity etc (etc - end of thinking capacity )

In this climate around public transport facility, i would of course prefer self drive and that's because I know self drive is more convenient in India and by GOD's grace, i can afford to acquire this alternative.

Now for a moment, put yourself in London, the public transport design is so efficient , especially the London tube, I would love to travel in that than self drive.

Coming back to India, think of those who do not have alternative mode of transport. do they use public mode of transport because they like it? Not really. just that, they don't have an alternative.

We haven't yet reached a point where we chose public transport purely for the love for it. But, will get there.
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Old 16th October 2014, 22:20   #90
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Re: Why I don't use Public Transport

Sounds like a question straight out an English Paper-200 words 15 marks
Four reasons spring to mind [unless otherwise; I'm talking about a bus system as the metro is yet to become operational in most cities]
1. Routing-There isn't a single direct bus connecting an extremely busy junction like Sarai Kale Khan (bus terminal East-Yamuna River Side) to Cannought Place at even 10AM on a weekday. Thus, unless a more efficient routing is found, people will continue to shun public transport, as its simply too cumbersome to get around.

2. Timing-
a) most inter-city bus services are simply to erratic. For example I know that just 2 mins. away from home atleast 6 different buses will come at 10AM, which I can use to get to the Supreme Court junction, however, not one of them is on time. Its an extremely common site to see three 502 route buses one behind the other at the same time all empty and then there are none for the next hour, when the running schedule of the 502 at that particular bus stop is 23 minutes. If you cannot rely upon the system to run on time (making allowance for traffic), then I automatically veer away from using the system.
b) It takes far too much time, either this is due to the 'routing' or simply because bus networks have insufficient buses forcing them to run fewer trips, increasing wait time.

3. Reliability-I mean this in a purely mechanical sense. Barring the BEST/BMTC buses, I never know when a DTC or for that matter a PMT (Pune) bus will break down on me. There was a news report in the ToI that 700 (yes 7-0-0) DTC buses break down EVERY DAY. Thus, even if they fix points 1 and 2-3 instantly makes me reach for my keys (car/bike).

4. Safety-incidents of pick pocketing are common, unfortunately at the non-peak hours more serious crimes especially against women are common, even in public systems. Add to this, I suspect that most conductors/drivers know these pick pockets and are either hand in glove or just don't want to get involved.
I said four, but there is a question. Seeing many BLR folks here, can you tell us, if the "take the bus day" initiative of the BMTC helps in reducing traffic that particular day, or whether it has helped in more people taking the bus?

As regards the metro, last mile connectivity, which atleast in Delhi is improving thanks to metro parking lots (which comes with its own risks), but we are a long way away.

My benchmark public transport system-Boston. Reason-Bus for the last mile, metro for cross town/long distance. Silver Line to the Airport [disclaimer there are a few critics of the Silver Line too, a quick read up is quite an education, and shows just how many miles there are too go, before I take the bus]
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