[deehunk]

Someday providing free transport to public will become on election manifesto. BMTC is plagued by high level corruption from 2008, it is sad that an organization which was the pride of Karnataka is now run by a bunch of jokers. Even the Namma Metro is being run like a bus service, who would like to travel in a metro which takes 45 minutes to cover 30kms plus suffocate inside the train during peak hours.

[locusjag]

I used to take the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus service to work in Chennai in 2007. And then one day, I gave my ticket fare, a Rs.10 note to the conductor.

All hell broke loose. I didn't know why but he was livid. He stopped the bus and made me get out. The hot girl next door was looking at me from her seat like I was a wet puppy by the side of the road.

That was the last time I've used the bus to go to work. Never again.

[V.Narayan]

This is a true and honest confession: I don't use public transport in Delhi-NCR because I am an unrepentant snob of the highest order incapable of reform on this matter at least. In the well over a quarter century I have lived in Delhi-NCR I have not used the bus, metro or auto rickshaw system even once. I actually don't use Ola-Uber either. I believe that when you have reached a certain stage in life might as well enjoy the comforts. Hell, that's why we buy cars, drive them and hire drivers. This post is not meant to offend anyone's sensibilities just stating my personal truth.

[Samurai]

True story...

I was a guest speaker at a seminar early this year, it was targeted towards youth. The first speaker was talking about Swami Vivekananda and how youth must follow his ideals, etc. He spoke for more than 90 minutes, so one could expect audience to zone-out. During that time he mentioned that once Javagal Srinath was found travelling in Bangalore Metro. He elaborated on that point and turned it into a sermon about humility.

My turn came almost 2 hours later, so there was quite a churn in the audience by then. Within 30 seconds into my talk, I said... "Oh, before I forget, I came here today using Metro!". Less than 5% of the audience was able to make the connection, and chuckled about it. So it was a flop as a joke. I left it at that.

The truth was, I was not exercising humility as ascribed by the first speaker. Since this auditorium was right next to Attiguppe metro station, it was a no-brainer for me. There are no metro stations near my home. So I took Uber to MG Road, and then took Metro to Attiguppe. It is simply too convenient, and I don't have to deal with Bangalore traffic, or parking hassle. I suspect Javagal Srinath was thinking the same. He was not trying to be humble. He found the Metro too convenient to avoid, in-spite of the hassle of being recognized and selfie-attacked by the fans.

That is the key to make public transport popular and acceptable to all people. Make it too convenient when compared to private transport.

So... I don't take public transport only when it is not convenient.

[SJM1214]

I used DEMU train for Anand- Ahmedabad- Anand(140Km) during my initial stage of career (first job). I used to reach local Rly. station by bike, catch the train, reach Ahmedabad and take AMC(A'bad Municipal Corporation ) bus to reach my office which was 20km far from A'bad railway station.

That was not convenient at all. I gave up my daily commute within six months and shifted to A'bad. I started using AMC and BRTS buses. However, end-connectivity was always an issue and I ended up using my Santro in A'bad. A non-economical option during the initial stage of my career but it was convenient.

Originally Posted by Samurai

That is the key to make public transport popular and acceptable to all people. Make it too convenient when compared to private transport.

+1

I don't have any issue with using public transport provided I get a window seat and end-connectivity. In A'bad, AMC and BRTS buses are used by daily commuters due to lack of options(IMHO). I hope the new Metro line in A'bad will make public transport more convenient.

[ghodlur]

I would have loved to use the public transportation for my daily office commute but the wayward frequency, poor maintenance, illogical stops make me opt for the car. Just yday I took the 492L BEST bus from Thane to Powai. The bus rattled like its going to break into fragments any moment. I have repeatedly asking the BEST authorities over mail, social media to improve the frequency but to all deaf ears. So have no option but to stick to driving in my own car.

[Axe77]

I am very happy to use public transport in many or most of the countries i have traveled to. This includes London, Singapore, HK and many places in Europe and some in Asia.

What makes me comfortable? None of them are uncomfortably / recklessly overcrowded, the service is efficient and predictable, the passengers are mostly civilized and clean, the mode of transport itself is acceptably clean, and it is convenient to walk from your public transport to your destination.

If I could have similar conditions in India, I would happily use public transport.

Sadly, we would fail on most if not all the above parameters in most of the cities I typically live in / frequent - Mumbai and NCR that is. It will not be very dissimilar in most B towns as well.

[ajmat]

I need to go to JP nagar for some treatment.

Options are

1: Taxi to Lalbagh + Metro to JP Nagar - 45 min going 1 hour returning - Rs 300 round trip
2: Park car in Cubbon Park - 40 min each way + Rs 200 for metro + parking
3: Drive to JP Nagar - 40 min going and 1 hour returning - cost Rs 150 in diesel

Options 1- I don't always get a seat, poor last mile connectivity from my house and the taxi cost from origin to destination is not that much more
Option 2 - I don't always get parking, drive over there, no space, drive on. Again, getting a seat is a challenge
Option 3 - my bum is comfortable, I may get caught in traffic but I am in control.

[Yieldway17]

I was taking public transport to work until 2 years back. I had no other option as I didn't have a 2 or 4 wheeler then. In fact, all my commute for 10 years since I started working have been on public transport either here in India or outside.

I bought a scooter about 1.5 years back and a car later and since then couldn't get back to public transport at all even though I want to.

Only lack of motivation is that I have to change buses 3 times (or sometimes 4) to get to office albeit they consist of 1 long ride and 2 short rides. And then another 3 to get back home.

One advantage of using public transport is all that walking and standing and resultant calories burnt. My weight increase can be directly related to moving away from public transport as I'm struggling to hit 5k steps per day now when I used to hit 15k steps per day easily and was in shape. I know I'm being a lazy couch potato but for someone who don't go to a gym or running, taking public transport can be a useful physical activity.

[dailydriver]

The very premise, and of course the answer, differs from one city to another, even in case of a single individual.

While in Bengaluru, I prefer catching a BMTC bus, specially when there is end to end connectivity. Reaching the CBD, where my office is located, is never a headache, mainly due to the abundance of what are known as Peak Hour Service (PHS) buses.

In my current city however, I rarely if ever hop on to any of the public transport vehicles, be it the ubiquitous share autos, KSRTC or private city buses. The reasons are twofold:

1. A 10 minute commute by car gets extended to 30 minutes if I opt for public transport.
2. Call me a snob, but i seem to have gone past the stage of struggling to get inside a crowded bus, fight for a small foothold or compete with all and sundry to locate a place to place my bottom.
3. As a corollary to point number two, i might even say that driving a car is one among the very few vices that i indulge in. It gives me an outlet to spend a tiny part of my salary!

[Jaguar]

Ever since I bought my first bike in 2002, my reliance on public transport has been on a constant decline. IMO, it is not about money but convinence that drives people into personal transport. The last mile connectivity and pedestrain walkways are pretty much non existant in our country.

To reach my office, I would have to walk 700m through a dusty road which gets dug up the next day it is tarred, catch a crowded bus and finally cross the ORR risking my life and walk another 500m dodging anything and everything that comes towards you from all directions. The effort is not worth saving a few bucks if at all.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

My daily commute is a scooter. I don't use public transport because:

It takes much more time than scooter.
You don't know when the bus will arrive.
Overcrowded buses.
Unbearably overcrowded trains in Mumbai.
No seats available, I have to stand.
Hassles of getting auto / taxi in peak hours, to get to the station.
Compulsion to carry luggage in hand.
Difficulty of carrying luggage in crowded buses and trains.
Climbing the stairs on railway station

[stewie]

I cannot think of taking public transport in Pune because of the following:
- There are not enough buses around which means most buses are filled to the brim. I'll be tired, sweaty, disheveled and probably smelly by the time I reach office.
- Travelling from my home to office would require a minimum of 3 changes en-route with all the ensuing annoyances. Travel time will also be more than personal transport.
- But MOST of all, I don't like people getting into my personal space. I don't fancy getting into a tango with the commuter next to me. Somehow personal space seems to be an alien concept in India. Which means, I would probably be seething by the time i get to office.

There's a tiny sliver of hope once Pune Metro takes off.

[Equus]

I really want to use public transport in Bangalore and the Volvo's are really good here and in abundant supply as well between key segments. However, i need 3 kms to get to Agara to get on to a volvo bus. If this gets reduced, 100% I will use them.
Namma metro also has given a miss to Koramangala.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by Samurai

True story...

Nice anecdote.

That is the key to make public transport popular and acceptable to all people. Make it too convenient when compared to private transport.

You’ve nailed it. Having spent the last year and some in New Zealand, I can tell you that this is precisely the problem that Auckland Transport (AT) is striving to fix. The problem is most Kiwi cities is one of scale: Auckland for example has just 1.6 million people spread across some 1100 sq km, translating to a population density just one-fifth of Singapore...and we’re talking about the largest urban centre in the country. No wonder most people prefer to drive to work and elsewhere.

But in a typical Kiwi way (efficient but low-key and always customer-centric) AT has been plugging away. Even in my relatively limited time here, I’ve seen the changes at work. The city centre is connected to the suburbs by a network of buses and trains: fast, cheap, interchangeable and very regular. The train system suffers from one major flaw: all routes terminate downtown, but a major exercise is underway to extend it through the city centre, which will fix this by 2020. The buses (spanking clean powerful beasts from Scania and others, including electric buses from Hyundai inducted earlier this year) are much better patronised, and you’re unlikely to meet a student, young working professional or older/retired person without an AT Hop card, that enables access to all public transport in the city. The use of technology pervades- you can top-up online, set up auto top-ups, book discounted fares in some cases- e.g. the Skybus airport route, track your transactions and even claim refunds for missed tag-offs. Drivers are friendly and considerate for the most part, not to mention extremely well-trained and fast. Bus lanes marked prominently in green are strictly enforced and scrupulously followed. The dedicated busway along the Auckland harbour bridge actually takes *less* time to navigate than driving in your own car, which tends to get trafficky during peak hours and on long weekends.

Best of all, AT keeps an ear firmly on the ground and introduces and modified routes based on customer demand. My daily commute to work- around 12 km- takes me only about half an hour end to end, including waiting, most days. I was dead sure I wanted to buy a car when I first came over but realised I didn’t need to thanks to the public transport and have turned into a weekend renter.

It’s a little unfair to compare Auckland with any Indian metro where we are struggling to find public transport models that work, but it is certainly something we can aspire to. Maybe some day...