[srishiva]

Originally Posted by Newpunter

This is not going to happen in Bangalore as the cops too are scared of the auto unions. I remember a few years back when a prepaid auto counter was opened in Bangalore and it failed miserably as very few of the auto guys turned up for it. The cops couldn't do a thing.

Regarding the BMTC drivers, I hate when they stop in the middle of a narrow road to pickup or drop passengers and blocking the traffic for all the people behind them. They can as well stop a bit to the left of the road and not interrupt the traffic flow, but they stop bang in the middle of the road so that only 2 wheelers can pass them. This happens all the time in Marathahalli on the old airport road near the bridge as well as near the marathahalli market.

Its also because people themselves take upto half of the road while waiting for the Bus. I think if the people are on the footpath/bus stop, they would stop near the bus stop. They usually stop close to where people are.

[Arkin evoisrevo]

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

One of my friends literally thrashed one BMTC driver black and blue for side-swiping his car while stopped at a traffic signal.

As I hinted before, my cars have nearly been swiped by these guys, and this happens regularly. What has happened in your friend's case now? My grandpa tells me not to mess with these bus drivers as they can form groups and do as they wish, so your friend is lucky I guess.

Originally Posted by Newpunter

This is not going to happen in Bangalore as the cops too are scared of the auto unions. I

Why exactly do the cops need to be scared of the auto unions? I'm curious.

Originally Posted by srishiva

Its also because people themselves take upto half of the road while waiting for the Bus. I think if the people are on the footpath/bus stop, they would stop near the bus stop. They usually stop close to where people are.

If there are people stopping the bus bang in the middle of the road, the driver must simply drive off rather than hold up traffic.

[mav2000]

Our bus drivers in Bangalore have taken over a game from the kids. So what these guys like to do is to go and park in front of the bus thats already at the bus stand and then the bus at the back will block the whole road by trying to get back on the raod...have you guys noticed it...its like they are kids trying to out do each other. Why buses cant stop one behind the other is beyond my comprehension. Also why Bangalore people in general dont understand the meaning of the word "que" while using bus stands is also beyond me...

I spent a lot of time in Mumbai and they seem to understand that the bus needs to be boarded according to the que and not by standing in the middle of the road....

[rohanjf]

Originally Posted by Arkin evoisrevo

If there are people stopping the bus bang in the middle of the road, the driver must simply drive off rather than hold up traffic.

Or, the drivers can refrain from opening the doors until the bus comes to a complete stop, and inside the bus bay. When the driver pulls into a bus bay, the people standing on the road will move back (unless they are blind and deaf). If the people don't, but driver must wait until they do. Let the other people (those who want to get out of and into the bus) wait for the people blocking the bus to move away.

But there is a problem. The people inside the bus will start shouting at the driver, instead of shouting at the people blocking the bus. If the driver is blocked by some railings or something, then the people will catch the conductor.

MAN! There is no solution for this!!!!

[kavu75]

Originally Posted by mav2000

Our bus drivers in Bangalore have taken over a game from the kids. So what these guys like to do is to go and park in front of the bus thats already at the bus stand and then the bus at the back will block the whole road by trying to get back on the raod...have you guys noticed it...i

Well said mav. That you can see everywhere in Bangalore by almost all of the BMTC drivers. By doing this they are completely stopping / slowing down the traffic flow.
One more big irritating thing is driver only Pushpak buses. He will stop exactly middle of the road and issue tickets. They should stop this driver only buses. Couple of times i put some comments about this in BMTC website.

[Arkin evoisrevo]

Originally Posted by mav2000

Our bus drivers in Bangalore have taken over a game from the kids. So what these guys like to do is to go and park in front of the bus thats already at the bus stand and then the bus at the back will block the whole road by trying to get back on the raod...have you guys noticed it...its like they are kids trying to out do each other. Why buses cant stop one behind the other is beyond my comprehension.

Exactly, that was what I was saying. Buses overtaking other buses. I don't understand what's in their brains that makes them do this.

Bus jumping red signal:

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Arkin evoisrevo

If there are people stopping the bus bang in the middle of the road, the driver must simply drive off rather than hold up traffic.

Just yesterday, the 500c Volvo (from HSR to BTM) I was in was rushing at Silk board since it the signal was green. Passengers who wanted to get down at SB were so outraged that the driver wouldn't stop that there were insults and abuses flying everywhere! No amount of explanation by the driver that the bus stop is at the Silk Board and not before the signal.

People want the bus to stop EXACTLY where they have to get down and not where the stop is.

Another problem is, people themselves stand everywhere except the bus stop. Especially when there is a crowd, to get in first, they stand more on the road. The driver HAS to stop where the crowd is; if he bothers to drive off or move towards the stop, he will run the risk of driving over someone.

The stupidity of people have quite a role to play in the habits of the drivers.

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by mav2000

Our bus drivers in Bangalore have taken over a game from the kids. So what these guys like to do is to go and park in front of the bus thats already at the bus stand and then the bus at the back will block the whole road by trying to get back on the raod...have you guys noticed it...its like they are kids trying to out do each other. Why buses cant stop one behind the other is beyond my comprehension. Also why Bangalore people in general dont understand the meaning of the word "que" while using bus stands is also beyond me...

I spent a lot of time in Mumbai and they seem to understand that the bus needs to be boarded according to the que and not by standing in the middle of the road....

Do you have this 'que'ue in local trains? On visits to Mumbai, twice I purchased tickets to these local trains without boarding them.(later used the trains on Sunday for the heck of it)

[Newpunter]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

People want the bus to stop EXACTLY where they have to get down and not where the stop is.

Another problem is, people themselves stand everywhere except the bus stop. Especially when there is a crowd, to get in first, they stand more on the road. The driver HAS to stop where the crowd is; if he bothers to drive off or move towards the stop, he will run the risk of driving over someone.

The stupidity of people have quite a role to play in the habits of the drivers.

We IT guys have to take a large part of the blame for this. The bus stops are like 50-100 m away from our offices but we can't even walk that distance. We need a bus stop just before our office ,so now the buses stop before every IT campus. This is very evident on Outer Ring Road ( especially near the JP Morgan office)

Originally Posted by srishiva

Do you have this 'que'ue in local trains? On visits to Mumbai, twice I purchased tickets to these local trains without boarding them.(later used the trains on Sunday for the heck of it)

Well, you cannot follow a queue in the local trains as the train doesn't stop for more than 1 min , unlike a bus where the driver would wait till everyone is on board .

[Arkin evoisrevo]

Buses bunking red signal:

[samarth.bhatia]

Hi.

I understand that this thread was initiated with the point in mind to discuss BMTC buses.
But as has been pointed out earlier, this is a problem common to Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi, IMO. Since I have lived in Bangalore for a couple of years (on Mysore Road) I can say that the buses are a menace. No doubt to that.
But the fact remains that the reasons pointed out for this apply very well. In most cases when a bus stops away from the left lane, the driver may not be at fault. The people waiting to board the buses tend to stand away from the stops, often on the road itself. It's not really possible for the driver to risk their lives by shifting to the left most lane while stopping.
That said, there are plenty of times that the drivers do this purely out of habit. Reiterating the fact that this is common to all three cities I have lived in.

The solution to this is for the Transport Corporations to wake up to the fact that training the drivers is vital. And the law system has to take notice of their responsibilities in this matter as well. At the end of the day, no amount of policemen on the road can help this without the help of the citizens themselves. Lets make it a point ourselves to take care of the following points:

1. Standing at the bus stops by the side of the road. Not on the road. Let us Team BHPians lead by example when we take the bus. After all, however many people may jump the signal, if you stop your car, people do begin to stop. Whether by your side, or behind you, it hardly matters.

2. Making it a point not to try and overtake buses which are changing into the Left lane to approach a bus stop. I know that I only recently have started to consciously avoid this.

3. Not to blame everybody around us, but see what we can change in our own selves. Leading by example is always the best.

There's a lot more to this, and I understand when said it's not simple. But it's not impossible to help the situation. Let's do our bits.

Cheers.
Sam

[vinaydas]

BMTC bus drivers are far better than drivers from states such as TN or KL or Even AP.
Chennai Bus drivers are the worst of the lot.

[Arkin evoisrevo]

Proof that BMTC drivers are not at all innocent.

YouTube - BMTC Driver Abusing Traffic police man(HAL station,Bangalore)Shot by media fox

The BMTC driver telling the policeman in chaste Kannada "AbeyTera baap, Jaa bey tera...."

I personally have experienced across such an incident.

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by vinaydas

BMTC bus drivers are far better than drivers from states such as TN or KL or Even AP.
Chennai Bus drivers are the worst of the lot.

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.

[Arkin evoisrevo]

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.

Care to elaborate? Please pin point one point about which I am being unfair?
and watch the video I just posted too.

Just because the state of affairs in India is better than that in Pakistan and Iraq, you can't say that anti-corruption reforms are unfair.