[vinukm]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

I completely agree. Especially compared to how buses are driven KL, KSRTC and BMTC drivers are angels.

Of course, there is always scope for improvement and there will always be accidents but the portrayal by the news channel and the thread starter is unfair.

+1

BMTC is any day better than the buses in Hyderabad. We see Bangloreans jumping a signal early in the morning or late nights. In Hyderabad it happens in the peak hours and in front of a police man. Public also needs to be blamed to an extent,

[thedreamcatcher]

Off late, I have alsoe been observing that Volvo drivers are becoming a bit rash. Several times, when I have ahd a volvo behind me, they sort of expect you to immediately give way, even if there is a mile of traffic in fron of you

For instance, I was coming back from the air show, and there was a massive traffic jam. I was stuck and a volvo guy behin me was flashing his lights constantly, as though i was to disappear or something. And then he kept on honking. I didnt bother and made sure he followed me for about 1.5 -2 kms, until the road widened and then let him pass. It creates unnecessary tension when driving.

These guys recieve special training on manners, driving etiquette, courtesy etc, but I guess it is all going down the drain now

[ajmat]

Main problem with BMTC is the unions - ideally, they should shop the offending drivers and make him face the wrath of the law. Like auto drivers, we'll end up having a strike and rest is history!

Someone should have the guts to take them on !

[Arkin evoisrevo]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Main problem with BMTC is the unions - ideally, they should shop the offending drivers and make him face the wrath of the law. Like auto drivers, we'll end up having a strike and rest is history!

Someone should have the guts to take them on !

Exactly!!
What I think can be done is:
1) Errant drivers are given infraction points like on teambhp everytime they are caught off guard, and then, suspended from service if their infractions exceed a certain limit.
2) Those who go on strike should either have their pay halved, or lose their jobs.
3) In place of the guys who are under suspension, trained contingent drivers who work on a "temporary" weekly wage basis can be appointed. This helps, because, if they'll have the fear of losing their jobs.
4) Drivers misbehaving like in the video with policemen should be considered a serious infraction, and should be dismissed without pay.

All this can be planned and implemented only when the government wakes up and start indulging in their duty rather than "self - service"

[rohanjf]

To add to what BMTC drivers regularly do, here is a photograph of the railway crossing that I have to cross everyday. This is in front of Decathlon on Sarjapur Road. The 4 lane road coverges into a single lane at the crossing. Most of the times, many vehicles go on the wrong side of the road, and in an attempt to cross the junction before the rightly queued up vehicles, they end up blocking the whole narrow junction. In the photo, there are 2 BMTC buses on the wrong side (and there was one good BMTC guy who stopped his bus behind me).

[srishiva]

As I know, the drivers are punished. But again in this country punishment itself is not that life altering for the wrong doer. Then there are delays, appeals etc.

[rohanjf]

Today I saw a BMTC route number 328B giving a moped guy the scare of his life. On a single lane and more-or-less empty road, the bus tried overtaking this moped guy (with a pillion rider) even when there was a truck coming from the opposite side. Seems like the BMTC driver overestimated the power output of his bus, or the truck guy did not slow down. The bus had to swerve to the left all of a sudden, with the moped guy still somewhere in the middle of the bus. I was about 10 feet behind the bus and I noticed that the bus missed the moped by a whisker, that too because the moped guy took a sudden left and went off the road, almost lost his balance and managed to control his gaddi.

The bus later on went on the mud on the right side of the road, to avoid a speed breaker, and that sure scared a car driver on the opposite side. Then this maniac overtook another BMTC bus in the same maniacal way, ignoring the oncoming traffic. Fortunately for him, the second bus' driver was sane enough to brake and let the psychopath go ahead.

I had no intention of following him to check his further offences, because I drive "live to drive" and I want to continue living to drive!

[odyssey045]

I have found both kinds of BMTC drivers in bangalore.. Good and sensible drivers and rash ones.. I remember once when i was just starting to learn to drive a car, there were a couple of rogue bmtc buses (201 series) in kormangala trying to outrun each other.. They actually squeezed through gaps, honked out other cars and in the process overtook me from both sides at the same time that for a moment i didnt know what was happening in an already crowded road..

I still make it a point to leave way to volvo buses especially after seeing how they drive from inside the bus!

But its amazing how i remember all their antics on their road and have forgotten other times when the BMTC drivers gave way to my car/drove sensibly

We need to understand that half of the time, these guys are irritated by the "smaller" vehicles trying to pull in a quickie and get ahead of the bus.. Most of the times, they have a restricted rear-view and with irritating little "pests" cutting them from both the directions (2 wheelers i have seen are the major culprits here), they really have a hard time on the road..

[Spitfire]

Today on my way to work.

Caught a BMTC Volvo from Marathahalli to Manipal Hospital. Time: 0820 hours.

Bus was crowded no place to seat. So I was standing in the aisle on the front side of the bus.

The driver was a bit jerky - accelerating and braking quite suddenly. Since this is a crowded area and umpteen number of median gaps, I thought this was normal.

As we came to the HAL road. It didn't get any better, so i peeped in-front to see why the driver is driving so?

I see he is talking on the cell phone. Since I have been reprimanded for trying to voice by discontent in public both on forums and otherwise. I keep quite.

We get to the busstop opposite the HAL Museum. The front door opens the rear does not. The conductor yells out. No response and the bus move. Passengers waiting outside. Somebody yells stop and the bus lunges and stops and the rear door opens.

I have had enough. I make my way through the living dead stacked in between. And say to the driver "Boss, please don't drive while talking on the cell phone, you are putting our lives at stake".

He gives me a sheepish smile, says it was a call from depot itself and disconnects. Smiles again and we are good.

The rest of the brain dead co passengers look around as if they really don't understand what's happening.

I was almost ready to take a picture of the driver but that might have created a scene. Not that I couldn't have got myself out of it. I have a fast pair of legs

[vinu_h]

Originally Posted by voodoochild

Completely OT but of academic interest to some of us: Shifting without using the clutch on non-synchro transmissions (usually heavy vehicles) is commonly called "floating the gears" in truckerspeak, where you match engine and GB revs before slotting in the next (or previous) gear. Ideally, apart from the shift being slow, there should be no perceivable difference from a normal clutch-shift. HCV drivers abroad receive special training on this to handle their "big-rig" transmissions which usually have 12 speeds. But our bus drivers being bus drivers...!

I don't know if it is technically possible, but they should do what Jawa did; Auto Clutch. That's more economical than having to convert all of them to AT or having to repair the GB's that their drivers damage.

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by vinu_h

I don't know if it is technically possible, but they should do what Jawa did; Auto Clutch. That's more economical than having to convert all of them to AT or having to repair the GB's that their drivers damage.

Possible by all means! Even in jeeps and non-Jawa motorcycles! There's loads of Youtube videos, but no access to it at work. Google-uncle will also help out, if you ask nicely.
I suppose in today's stop-go traffic, the guys just prefer to crash the box through the gears than exercise finesse or the left leg.

Any idea how massive the autoclutch cam-roller system would have to be for a lorry clutch?

[vinu_h]

Originally Posted by voodoochild

Possible by all means! Even in jeeps and non-Jawa motorcycles! There's loads of Youtube videos, but no access to it at work. Google-uncle will also help out, if you ask nicely.
I suppose in today's stop-go traffic, the guys just prefer to crash the box through the gears than exercise finesse or the left leg.

Perhaps it'd cost them much, else big ones like Tata, AL, Merc and Volvo would've introduced it. Not sure.

Originally Posted by voodoochild

Any idea how massive the autoclutch cam-roller system would have to be for a lorry clutch?

I actually don't but want to. No point owning a Yezdi otherwise.

[masin4]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Today on my way to work.
==============
I was almost ready to take a picture of the driver but that might have created a scene. Not that I couldn't have got myself out of it. I have a fast pair of legs

Had the exact same experience on a volvo from ITPL to MG road.The driver was texting, taking calls while driving the bus with one hand.Had to go up to him and ask him to use both hands since not only was he endangering the occupants of the bus,but also people walking on the road with swerving driving and sudden braking due to being distracted.

Didn't see any number where a complaint can be lodged against errant drivers

[vinu_h]

Originally Posted by masin4

Had the exact same experience on a volvo from ITPL to MG road.The driver was texting, taking calls while driving the bus with one hand.Had to go up to him and ask him to use both hands since not only was he endangering the occupants of the bus,but also people walking on the road with swerving driving and sudden braking due to being distracted.

Didn't see any number where a complaint can be lodged against errant drivers

I confronted a Volvo driver last week for using mobile phone while driving. He told me that they're given back to back jobs and are made to drive buses for 12+ hours/day with almost no breaks and time to themselves.

I'm not happy with his justification but I do sympathise.

[vinu_h]

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses to soon have two CCTV cameras

Two cameras in each bus — one in the front and one at the back — will be sufficient. We will start the project with 1,000 buses, including Volvos and the new Bharat Stage 4-compliant buses. We will take it forward in a phased manner and install CCTV cameras in all our 6,500 buses. The cameras will have 48-hour backup facility

KSRTC and BTMC have issued a 12-point directive to their crew in ensuring safety of women commuters. Some of them are:

Be decent with women commuters

Ensure that women get seats reserved for them

Get a woman passenger to sit next to another woman

Don't argue with women commuters unnecessarily

If male commuters misbehave with women commuters, rush to the nearest police station