My article on Bus Buzz (published in ET Madras Plus (dated 22.3.2007))
BUS BUZZ
Orange and white, buses delight!
The new fleet of buses gives disciplined commuters a reason to rejoice while disappointing bus ’hangers’
M D S PrabhuThe Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) is all set to make the city colourful and chic! With the introduction of semi-low floor buses, automatic doors and prepaid tickets, travelling in an MTC will never be the same for a regular commuter. "The aim is to offer excellent commuting experiences at a reasonable price and still make profits," says R Balasubramanian, Managing Director - Metropolitan Transport Corporation, while adding that the idea sparked on an official tour with the Transport Secretary to Los Angels and Columbia. Proposals to introduce Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) are also in the pipeline. "We have submitted the recommendations to TNRDC - Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation - and if everything goes well we will have exclusive buses on the OMR," says Balasubramanian, "We have fifty white buses and have made arrangements for portable washing machines to clean them on a regular basis. "80% of the accidents are caused due to footboard travel, but the automatic doors will curb this menace. This bus will also have air suspension (air bellows instead of springs to support cushions) and two steps to facilitate ladies and elderly people to get in easily. The revenue model in this is great. Only our initial investments and capital costs are high but the returns in terms of revenues can be generated quickly… as early as within a month!" The buses have been manufactured at a cost of Rs13.5 lacs each. White-line buses will operate at Rs5 and Rs10 - fixed for particular distances. Orange liners will charge the same rates as yellow and blue liners. The white-liners will also ply chartered trips to various software and manufacturing companies at the IT corridor and Sriperumbudur from 6am to 8am in the mornings and 5pm to 6pm in the evenings. "During the rest of the day, they will travel within the city and their terminus will be Kelambakkam. Orange liners will ply like mofusil buses and their minimum one-time journey will be a distance of 50km," remarks an MTC official. And if your biggest worry is procuring tickets from unfriendly conductors, things are about to change! The new service will also have ticketing machines installed at various bus stations for prepaid tickets valid for the journey undertaken! So happy travelling!
Orange and white, buses delight!
The new fleet of buses gives disciplined commuters a reason to rejoice while disappointing bus ’hangers’
M D S PrabhuThe Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) is all set to make the city colourful and chic! With the introduction of semi-low floor buses, automatic doors and prepaid tickets, travelling in an MTC will never be the same for a regular commuter. "The aim is to offer excellent commuting experiences at a reasonable price and still make profits," says R Balasubramanian, Managing Director - Metropolitan Transport Corporation, while adding that the idea sparked on an official tour with the Transport Secretary to Los Angels and Columbia. Proposals to introduce Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) are also in the pipeline. "We have submitted the recommendations to TNRDC - Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation - and if everything goes well we will have exclusive buses on the OMR," says Balasubramanian, "We have fifty white buses and have made arrangements for portable washing machines to clean them on a regular basis. "80% of the accidents are caused due to footboard travel, but the automatic doors will curb this menace. This bus will also have air suspension (air bellows instead of springs to support cushions) and two steps to facilitate ladies and elderly people to get in easily. The revenue model in this is great. Only our initial investments and capital costs are high but the returns in terms of revenues can be generated quickly… as early as within a month!" The buses have been manufactured at a cost of Rs13.5 lacs each. White-line buses will operate at Rs5 and Rs10 - fixed for particular distances. Orange liners will charge the same rates as yellow and blue liners. The white-liners will also ply chartered trips to various software and manufacturing companies at the IT corridor and Sriperumbudur from 6am to 8am in the mornings and 5pm to 6pm in the evenings. "During the rest of the day, they will travel within the city and their terminus will be Kelambakkam. Orange liners will ply like mofusil buses and their minimum one-time journey will be a distance of 50km," remarks an MTC official. And if your biggest worry is procuring tickets from unfriendly conductors, things are about to change! The new service will also have ticketing machines installed at various bus stations for prepaid tickets valid for the journey undertaken! So happy travelling!
posted by M.D.S.PRABU at 2:26 AM
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