BMW India has partnered with the Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore to offer mobility at the VIP terminal. All the VVIP, VIP, and CIP passengers will now be chauffeured from the aircraft to the terminal in BMW cars.

BMW vehicles were handed over to Mr. Javed Malik, Chief Operating Officer, Bengaluru International Airport Limited by Mr. Rene Gerhard, Director, Sales, BMW Group India. While BMW hasn't yet mentioned the specific models that will be put into service at the airport, the official images shared by BMW indicate that the 3 Series Gran Turismo will be part of the fleet.

Bangalore Airport is one of the fastest growing airports in the country. It services over 80,000 passengers per day.

The Bangalore traffic police have announced that they will be cracking down on riders wearing non-ISI helmets from February 1, 2018 onwards. According to the police, riders with imported helmets certified by the US Department of Transport (DoT) or Europe's Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) will also be penalized.

In a reply to a tweet, the Bangalore traffic police clarified that helmets that meet global standards can be used, however R Hitendra - Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) later told the media that imported helmets without an ISI mark would not be accepted. 

In a recent development, the Bangalore top-cop has confirmed that a letter will be sent to the transport department seeking further clarification about non-ISI helmets, especially the imported ones that are supposedly tested to better standards than the ones laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). He has also said that the Bangalore Traffic Police will not implement the new rule until the transport department responds to their query.

Source: Times of India

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is currently mulling over its plans to start pod taxis in the city. The corporation has even decided six stretches where the pod taxi concept can be implemented, totalling to a coverage area of up to 35.5 km.

Pod taxis are a part of the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system, which provides on-demand, origin to destination transportation. The concept features automated cable cars that run on a network of dedicated guide ways. They are designed to carry a small group of passengers for small distances. Bangalore's civic body has planned that this network will be powered by solar energy and will have a cumulative carrying capacity of 15,000 people per hour.

BBMP will soon float an expression of interest to companies in order to receive proposals for the said project. This information was revealed by the municipal commissioner of the city - Mr. N Manjunath Prasad. Additionally, the project is said to adopt a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) model, which will help in avoiding any public expenditure.

The civic body is planning to implement its pod taxi project in a phased manner. The following are the different phases that have been conceptualised at the moment:

• Phase 1 - MG Road Metro Station to The Leela Palace junction - 4 km

• Phase 2 - The Leela Palace to Marathahalli junction - 6 km

• Phase 3 - Marathahalli junction to EPIP, Whitefield - 6.5 km

• Phase 4 - M.G. Road Metro Station to Koramangala - 7 km

• Phase 5 - Jayanagar 4th Block to JP Nagar 6th phase - 5.3 km

• Phase 6 - Sony Junction to Indiranagar Metro Station - 6.7 km

Source: ET

Bosch has inaugurated its first Company Owned Company Operated (CoCo) car service centre in Bangalore. The centre will be providing service-related facilities for cars of all major brands. Bosch is also aiming to add 700 new car service centres across the country under its franchisee model in the next 5 years.

The Bosch car service centre in Bangalore is located on the NH-7 at Electronic City Phase-2. It is spread over an area of 20,000 sq. ft. and has 14 service bays. Bosch has equipped the service centre with service-related equipment like wheel aligner and balancer, tyre changer, nitrogen tyre inflator, headlight aligner, 2-post and 4-pole lifts, KTS (ECU diagnostic scanner with ESI software for vehicle diagnosis and troubleshooting), AC service machine and automated car wash. The Bangalore service centre is also equipped with an accident repair facility, including collision repair system, paint booth, etc.

Additionally, the service centre also houses a customer lounge where owners can wait while their cars are serviced. This longue is equipped with working docks, information kiosks, free Wi-Fi connectivity, TV and other amenities. Bosch will also be providing pick up and drop facilities to customers.

Currently, the Bosch service centre in Bangalore is offering services like routine maintenance, ECU diagnostics, brake service, clutch overhaul, suspension system, aggregate repairs, body repairs and painting, wheel balancing & tyre service, AC diagnostics and service and car wash & detailing. Bosch is also aiming to provide value added services in the near future. These include 24x7 roadside assistance, pre-owned car inspection, certification, extended warranty, etc.

Bosch aims to use the fully-owned Bangalore service centre as a model workshop to issue fresh guidelines in order to upgrade its existing and new franchisee workshops.

Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) has signed an agreement with World Resources Institute (WRI) under which, the company will be looking out for solutions to Bangalore's continuously increasing traffic woes. TMF and WRI will be focusing on improving accessibility to metro stations, and thus motivate more people to use the train network.

Bangalore is the IT capital of India. With a rising number of people using the roads daily, congestion and traffic have been increasing with every passing year. In order to keep a check on this increase in private vehicles on the road, a metro line has been laid within the city that provides a faster transport option for the daily commuters. TMF and WRI are now planning to enhance first and last mile connectivity with this metro line to make it accessible for a larger sector of commuters.

In order to do so, TMF and WRI will be developing a project called 'The Station Access & Mobility Programme'. This project will run from December 2016 to March 2018. TMF and WRI will be inviting practical and feasible ideas from the State government, public agencies and the IT industry, and will then scale the winning solution in the city of Bangalore to see whether or not it works in the real situations. The company will then determine the results of this project, and will evaluate the future scope of similar activities in other Indian cities as well.

Source: The Hindu

Thank you to Team-BHP fan Suyash Kumar Agarwal for bringing this to our knowledge!

There is no hiding the fact that a major chunk of India's public transport is inaccessible for people with disabilities. Many differently-abled people aren't comfortable in entering conventional cars either, which eliminates regular taxi service providers from their list of options. This is where Bangalore-based KickStart cabs comes in. KickStart is aimed at providing a hassle-free transportation option for people with disabilities. It also provides an easier commuting solution for elderly people who have problems in getting in and out of a regular car. The start-up is backed by the Mphasis Foundation.

The KickStart fleet includes specially-designed vehicles that have been customised to aid ingress and egress. Some of their cars have a ramp that unfolds from the boot to help users on wheelchairs board the vehicle with ease. Once in, the wheelchair can be securely strapped in using specially designed belts. There are also taxis with turn-out wheelchair. In such a model, the front passenger seat can be moved out of the passenger's door. This can be used for people who have knee issues and are unable to board a regular vehicle. Moreover, the front seat can be attached to a wheelchair frame to convert the car's passenger seat into a regular wheelchair.

KickStart cabs can be booked either through a phone call on 8105600445 and 8032327777, or through an online booking form on the company's website. A two-hour trip for a distance of 20 km is priced at Rs. 800. Every extra kilometre is charged at Rs. 20/km, while an extra hour added to the said 2-hour limit is priced at Rs. 200. The company is also offering dedicated packages for office pickup and drop, airport and railway station transfers and outstation trips.

KickStart has been co-founded by Vidhya Ramasubban, who has worked in the disability sector, and Srikrish Siva, an alumnus of BITS Pilani and a former management consultant. The service was being run as a pilot project since 2013 and has started official operations earlier this year.

Earlier this month, we had reported that taxi aggregator Ola had started a radio bike taxi service in Bengaluru. However, the transport department deemed the service illegal and asked citizens not to use it.

Now, Ola has withdrawn the service. The company has not given any reasons for discontinuing the service. The Regional Transport Authority has said that Ola will need to obtain a licence to operate and has seized bikes that were running without the necessary permissions.

Meanwhile, Uber - Ola's rival - continues to operate UberMoto, its bike taxi service in Bengaluru.

Bike taxis are being operated in various cities in India. Hiring a bike taxi is much cheaper than an autorickshaw or car. This makes the service very popular among solo commuters.

Source: ET Auto

Over the past few months several companies have identified the radio bike taxi market as an untapped market. In Bangalore, over the past few months Rapido and Uber (among others) have entered this market. Now, Ola has announced the launch of its pilot initiative of bike taxis in Bangalore.

At a minimum fare of Rs. 30, these bike taxis will serve as a means to ferry customers across the city with an introductory fare of Rs. 2 per km and Re. 1 per minute of trip time.

The two-wheeler transportation option will be available on the Ola mobile app and will provide users with the same experience as that of booking a cab i.e. driver details displayed, SOS, live tracking and payment using Ola Money. Also, all pillion riders will be provided helmets.

Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) has inaugurated its second dedicated facility, at Whitefield, Bangalore. Located near the MBRDI HQ in Whitefield Palms, the "Embassy Crest" facility is spread over an area of 2,66,000 sqft. The new centre has a capacity to house more than 2,400 employees.

Manu Saale, MD & CEO MBRDI, stated that MBRDI has an 18 year old history in India. He added that the brand's growth strategy focuses on "harnessing local capabilities." The location is strategically placed given Bangalore's strong IT background.

MBRDI was founded in 1996. The division focuses on topics ranging from computer-aided design and simulations (CAD, CAE) for powertrain, chassis and exteriors to embedded systems, telematics and developing various IT applications and tools.