[abhayankara]

Originally Posted by ambivalent_98

Upload this to the BTP FB page. This is quite a violation and quite blatantly. I think BTP take action on catching these violations.

HI ambivalent_98,

I would like to post that on FB but is that safe posting in FB?

[NPV]

Originally Posted by msdivy

So I tend to think it is school decision.

Several parents were questioning why the school is not working (some schools are working today as well) despite very few students/teachers depending on BMTC for transportation and the management response was that they've taken the decision as a precautionary measure to ensure safety of the children.
I tend to agree since sometimes, these strikes can go out of control.

[ajayclicks]

I wish I could have predicted that the schools will remain close for these three days. I have a club mahindra voucher to redeem (non-peak season only), as well as get some denting-painting done on my swift (used for school-drop). This three day mini-vacation would have come in handy for the above.

[LoneRidder]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

The state govt procures the buses through JNNURM but more often than not, the BMTC uses the buses to ferry IT employees like ITPL, Bagmane Tech Park and Manyata.

Every state government had the right to procure buses under JNNURM. There were stringent conditions on fund utilization. BMTC was one of the few corporations that utilized the funds to the best possible. JNNURM fund was for a limited period, and it is no more available.

Buses bought under JNNURM cannot be strictly used for shuttle service. During the initial purchase of Volvo under JNNURM, BMTC had done this mistake and the funding was cancelled. However based on the success, additional buses were purchased outside of JNNURM. BMTC was one of the two profit making RTCs in the country until few years back. The other one was KSRTC!

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Now let us compare BMTC with MTC in Chennai. To the best of my knowledge, MTC buses are not used for other purposes except ferrying public. Their rates are also less compared to BMTC.

I guess we cannot compare BMTC to MTC simply because of the service and quality of buses. BMTC has been a front runner in innovation and service that has been tried by other RTCs. They have won many national awards for this.

BMTC was the first in the country to provide 'luxury' city service back in late 90s called 'Pushpak'. Even before that on a regular route, they had white & black board buses (white board being little expensive and less crowded due to the difference in price). In 90' when counterfeit tickets were rampant, they had introduced daily lottery prizes for public based on the ticket numbers, forcing commuters to demand for tickets.

The ferry service to IT parks was never part of profit making. Couple of decades back, most of the large private companies had their own transport system or had hired private service. When government started ITPL, it had to make lot of efforts to attract companies to this tech park, which was considered far and out of the city, and this was the time govt made BMTC to provide campus service. Those days buses used to run empty. As there were many small companies that could not provide dedicated transport service, BMTC came as a boon. The model continued when other new IT parks came in.

This has definitely helped the IT parks that were unable to provide dedicated service and also helped in reducing large number of traffic on the roads, which is evident during the last two days.

The current strike is not a simple straight forward one just looking for hike in salary. It has lot of politics to it too. Yes public is inconvenienced to a great extent and the employees too have their right to demand a decent hike, after all it is a public corporation.

[sanjaykk]

Originally Posted by NPV

Several parents were questioning why the school is not working (some schools are working today as well) despite very few students/teachers depending on BMTC for transportation and the management response was that they've taken the decision as a precautionary measure to ensure safety of the children.
I tend to agree since sometimes, these strikes can go out of control.

Originally Posted by msdivy

.... So I tend to think it is school decision.

I believe the schools were told by the BEO to work at their own risk!
So, some chose not to!

[LoneRidder]

Originally Posted by NPV

Several parents were questioning why the school is not working (some schools are working today as well) despite very few students/teachers depending on BMTC for transportation and the management response was that they've taken the decision as a precautionary measure to ensure safety of the children.
I tend to agree since sometimes, these strikes can go out of control.

These days I guess no school children or very few children use BMTC service. Most of the private schools have their own shuttle or private shuttle or parents drop the kids.

This strikes is not a public strike called by opposition or ruling party to spill to the roads unless a Bus is attacked. When buses are off the roads the chance to spill to the road is very very little or nil.

Fortunately my children's school is running as usual not shutting down

[sdp1975]

Originally Posted by msdivy

Actually the hike % doesn't mean anything by itself. Is the salary on par with industry? Note that a Govt job usually means job-safety and being part of Govt employee welfare schemes. Is that factored in the pay hike?

The salary+benefits looks good to me . The ones on the higher pay scales must be better paid than the private sector.



Reached office a short while ago - took almost the same as on other days. Saw a large crowd of people standing at the Marathalli bus stop. Didn't see a single BMTC bus on the roads.

[glenmz]

Originally Posted by abhayankara

TRAFFIC VIOLATION BY POLICE:

This is the scene what I see almost on all days from Monday ~ Friday when I am waiting for my CAB near Meenakshi Temple. This Ertiga which belongs to government always makes a wrong entry. To avoid taking just a 30 meter U turn, he takes the wrong way. Rules are meant to be followed by all right?
The one who has to guard us makes such mistakes!

Originally Posted by ambivalent_98

Upload this to the BTP FB page. This is quite a violation and quite blatantly. I think BTP take action on catching these violations.

Highly doubt if any action would be taken. I have seen a response from BTP saying that Traffic Police can do these while on duty!

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by vin_b

Due to yesterday nights rain, again there is water logging. I read post on BTP-FB page

They had also posted this information on the BTP mobile application (which I guess only works in Android phones). Doddanekkundi underpass was water logged, and there was also another water logging incident near Muthurmari Amma temple at KR Puram. In both areas fire engines were being used to suck out water. Looks like there was a bigger jam at KR Puram side today, with vehicles queueing up all the way to Ramamurthy Nagar.

Originally Posted by msdivy

Note that a Govt job usually means job-safety and being part of Govt employee welfare schemes. Is that factored in the pay hike?

My understanding is that Ka.SRTC is not the typical government organisation (like say RTO, the police or Sales Tax Dept. etc.). The employees are all part of the Road Transport Corporation, and the pay & perks are determined by the Corporation. Off course the Corporation does answer to the government of the day, but the government does not get into day to day running of the organisation. In states like Kerala also this is how they operate, but Ke.SRTC is more heavily unionised, and the state also time and again bails out the corporation which perennially makes loss. In Karnataka, looks like the government expects BMTC & Ka.SRTC to ensure that it runs its own show. What sort of employee welfare schemes are applicable for the road transport corporation employees are determined by the corporation.

Originally Posted by MavericK46

A more holistic solution would be to open the transport services to private operators rather than let the BMTC monopoly continue.

There is also the other side which we need to consider. Private business, has one underlying principle - make profits. The amount of profits etc. gets determined by the business ethics of the private operator. BMTC has got lots of social obligations, which the private parties would just not bother to do. Private parties would be happy to ply on routes which is profitable to them. BMTC or Ka.SRTC would have to put buses on all routes, even if some of them are non-profitable. So opening up this field for private players needs to be done with caution. Below two reports clearly indicate what sort of "people/businessmen" would the passengers have to deal with in Bangalore.
Overcharging auto drivers, bus operators booked
Private bus operators set to make a killing?

Originally Posted by sdp1975

The salary+benefits looks good to me . The ones on the higher pay scales must be better paid than the private sector.

The higher pay-scales come with more years of service. So we cannot consider that as the bench mark. Because the posts are all cadre based and thus very limited. The driver in the lowest pay bracket has got a pay hike of Rs.2024 p.m. From what I understand (reading this forum), the last wage revision happened in 2012. So they are getting a wage hike of Rs.2024 after a period of 4 years. Private sectors give yearly hikes. So this is a case of "too little, too late". And we also don't know even with this hike, are there going to be any deductions etc. Or is it the final take home salary (after all tax cuts, PF cuts etc. etc.). I have become a bit cynical on the claims the government make these days.

[NowNew7]

Experienced solid back-to-back traffic on Graphite Road today starting from Printo itself, instead of the regular build up around Keys Hotel. I could have got down from the car, had a cup of tea and come back and the traffic wouldn't have moved... Good effort by the Traffic Wardens though.

I literally started after breakfast and have reached office at Lunch time

Side rant; how can a rider not have a judgement of how far out the 2 wheeler handles are? One spatial awareness challenged gentlemen hit my left side ORVM and carrried on blithely... I shudder to think what would happen once he got behind the steering wheel of a 4 wheeler...

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by sdp1975

The salary+benefits looks good to me . The ones on the higher pay scales must be better paid than the private sector.

Attachment 1534089

Reached office a short while ago - took almost the same as on other days. Saw a large crowd of people standing at the Marathalli bus stop. Didn't see a single BMTC bus on the roads.

Heard that their training period is for 2 years and then its 2 year probation. They get measly 3000 odd during training and 6000 odd during probation. Takes almost 5 years to get confirmed. Looking at the job they do and stress levels, they should be paid better.

Our representatives increase their salary 100% overnight without any discussions. I believe jobs like transport and police need to get respectable salaries which is not the situation today.

[praful]

A bus has turned over on the Agara to Ibblur stretch causing massive block on both sides. Its ridiculous to see people park and stop to click pictures as if it was some sort of picnic.

This is the second such accident I've seen in less than 12 hours, early this morning around 2AM a tanker could not decide whether to take the flyover or not and ended up climbing onto the guard rail of the Nagwara flyover, causing the road to be blocked all the way till Hebbal.

[sdp1975]

Originally Posted by srishiva

I believe jobs like transport and police need to get respectable salaries which is not the situation today.

Digressing off the topic , but there really are no resources for that.

In a country of over a billion with widespread poverty and unemployment , there will be inequalities and low salaries. If the fares are increased , people will reduce using public transport. If the govt. pays from the taxpayers money, other areas like education and healthcare the govt is responsible for , will be affected. People don't want to pay more taxes , increasing taxes are not an option. While it's easy to be critical of the govt, it's a lot more difficult being in their shoes.

The fact is that at lower levels , a govt job is considered better and more coveted than a private one. That's the reason why these employees chose to stick with their jobs and strike , rather than quit and join the private sector.

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by MavericK46

A more holistic solution would be to open the transport services to private operators rather than let the BMTC monopoly continue.

Allowing private operators is great option. Private operators offer efficient service and probably will be cheaper than BMTC. But, I have seen private operators prefer small buses with congested space, buses which look like tin-cans with disregard to safety. The private bus system mostly degenerates into a feudal system, where a rich bus operator maintains a set of unskilled but loyal people and pays them peanuts for their service.

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Not everyone can afford to travel in a Volvo bus. Off late one gets to see more of Volvo buses stranded on the road side due to breakdown.

If BMTC is unable to run Volvos efficiently, then Govt must consider allowing private operators to run just the AC bus service.

[kavu75]

Got this news in my WhatsApp group.