… Bengaluru: The city’s public transport system is all set to get a digital makeover with Karnataka Transport Department planning to make BMTC real-time bus movement information available on private mobility apps like Ola, Uber, Namma Yatri and Rapido.
Passengers using these apps (Ola, Uber, Namma Yatri and Rapido) could soon be able to check the live location of BMTC buses so that they can plan their final leg after completing cab or auto ride.
The decision was taken at a meeting of senior officials from the Transport Department, KSRTC and BMTC in Vidhana Soudha. Transport Minister Bhairathi Suresh chaired the meeting and asked officials to explore sharing BMTC’s real-time bus data with private app-based taxi and mobility companies.
The idea is to make Bengaluru residents’ public transport experience more connected. For example, a passenger might book an auto or cab for a particular location but then need to separately check if BMTC bus is available to continue the journey. If live BMTC data could be integrated with private mobility platforms passengers could access bus information without switching between apps.
This could be particularly useful for passengers travelling to residential neighbourhoods, commercial areas and other destinations which may not have direct Metro connectivity. Once a passenger completes a ride through a cab or auto platform live BMTC information could help them identify nearby buses, check their movement and make better decisions about the part of the journey left to be done.
Transport Minister has also asked BMTC to put 200 small air conditioned electric buses at Metro stations across Bengaluru. These buses will be feeder services between Metro stations and surrounding neighbourhoods.
The small electric buses proposed would be deployed within a radius of about five kms from Metro stations. The idea is to improve last mile connectivity and get more commuters using public transport. Residential layouts and peripheral areas which are not directly connected to Metro stations could benefit substantially from feeder services.
The 200 buses will be part of the 4,500 electric buses that BMTC is procuring under the Central Government’s PM E-DRIVE scheme. The expansion of electric buses will help Bengaluru transition to cleaner public transport as well as improve connectivity across the city.
Last mile connectivity has been one of the key challenges for Bengaluru’s public transport network. The city has an extensive BMTC bus network and expanding Metro system but commuters in several neighbourhoods rely on private vehicles, autos and cabs to reach Metro stations. The proposed electric feeder buses could fill this gap by providing dedicated public transport connectivity over shorter distances.
Transport Department is also working on improving bus services for Bengaluru’s large IT and technology workforce. The minister has directed BMTC to increase availability of air-conditioned buses for employees working in city’s IT-BT companies.
Officials have been asked to talk to IT and technology companies to find out what they need in terms of transportation and how additional AC bus services can be provided. That way companies and employees would not depend so much on private cars and app based cabs during peak office hours.
It could also help traffic congestion and vehicle emissions if more employees take shared public transport for their daily commute. Bengaluru (where many technology companies are headquartered and workforce is growing rapidly) has a lot of traffic problems during morning and evening peak hours.
The combination of real-time bus tracking, Metro feeder services and AC buses would therefore be part of an overall effort to make Bengaluru’s public transport system more integrated and commuter friendly.
However, live-tracking integration will only work if BMTC and private mobility platforms coordinate their technical efforts. Real time data must be accurate, updated regularly and presented in a way that commuters can understand.
If implemented successfully this could help Bengaluru residents mix modes of transportation rather than rely entirely on private vehicles. BMTC live tracking with popular mobility apps and electric feeder buses could be an important step towards a more connected, convenient and sustainable public transport network for the city.
