Comments on: Redesigning Public Transport in India http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:36:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Active Reader http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35450 Active Reader Thu, 13 Mar 2008 08:32:08 +0000 http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35450 No difference in the bus rates from blore to chennai. At the max would be somewhere around 25 to 50 rupees. And that too if you are staying somewhere around 10 to 15 kms from Majestic, you need to pay thrice the amount to reach there. Not all the buses take the same route. For example, only three AC buses of KSRTC ply through Hosur. This is one reason I take private buses. You have all the buses (most of them) plying through hosur and you pay the exact rate rather than spending for auto. You get in or get out in the place you require. No difference in the bus rates from blore to chennai. At the max would be somewhere around 25 to 50 rupees. And that too if you are staying somewhere around 10 to 15 kms from Majestic, you need to pay thrice the amount to reach there. Not all the buses take the same route. For example, only three AC buses of KSRTC ply through Hosur. This is one reason I take private buses. You have all the buses (most of them) plying through hosur and you pay the exact rate rather than spending for auto. You get in or get out in the place you require.

]]> By: prabukarthik http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35427 prabukarthik Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:07:38 +0000 http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35427 thiagu, i was about to write on the state of toilets in sleeper class coaches in which i traveled this weekend. but decided not to since the rest of the post was dealing with some macro issues. i reserved it for another topic another time. en vaayai kelariteenga! thiagu,

i was about to write on the state of toilets in sleeper class coaches in which i traveled this weekend. but decided not to since the rest of the post was dealing with some macro issues. i reserved it for another topic another time. en vaayai kelariteenga!

]]> By: prabukarthik http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35424 prabukarthik Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:23:13 +0000 http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35424 chakra, enakku enna aadhaangam eppo varum nu sollave mudiyadhu. Thanks for the feedback. Going forward i intend to write less frequently but hopefully with more substance.. lets see. Posts like this takes a day to draft but its satisfying when a serious post like this gets good feedback :) chakra,

enakku enna aadhaangam eppo varum nu sollave mudiyadhu.

Thanks for the feedback.

Going forward i intend to write less frequently but hopefully with more substance.. lets see. Posts like this takes a day to draft but its satisfying when a serious post like this gets good feedback :)

]]> By: prabukarthik http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35423 prabukarthik Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:20:18 +0000 http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35423 arun, I just noticed i had mentioned 65 years of independence and not just'65 years' as i thought i did. Mistake corrected and thanks for the pointer :) arun,

I just noticed i had mentioned 65 years of independence and not just’65 years’ as i thought i did.
Mistake corrected and thanks for the pointer :)

]]> By: prabukarthik http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35422 prabukarthik Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:57:31 +0000 http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35422 Arun, Whenever i criticise about the way things work in India, i also try to give whatever suggestions i sincerely know for things to improve. My suggestions may not be the most sophisticated but i do try to convey my adhaangam rather than a cynical disdain for this country. Thats why amid all the criticism i don't end like 'Indha country urupadaadhu' as some guys keep saying during informal conversations. We have improved in a few areas but we need to learn and adapt our success stories to other areas as well. Reg. 65 years. I wanted to highlight not just the year of independence and after but also the pre-independence days well before that. Arun,

Whenever i criticise about the way things work in India, i also try to give whatever suggestions i sincerely know for things to improve.
My suggestions may not be the most sophisticated but i do try to convey my adhaangam rather than a cynical disdain for this country.

Thats why amid all the criticism i don’t end like ‘Indha country urupadaadhu’ as some guys keep saying during informal conversations. We have improved in a few areas but we need to learn and adapt our success stories to other areas as well.

Reg. 65 years. I wanted to highlight not just the year of independence and after but also the pre-independence days well before that.

]]> By: prabukarthik http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35421 prabukarthik Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:51:02 +0000 http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35421 Ravi, First, however we feel about the way our telecom companies function(i've had my own complaints about Airtel), but still our telecom rates are the cheapest. All said and done its better than the days when we had to pay 300 bucks as bribery just to have my Dot (Pre- BSNL days) phone installed when we got our first telephone connection in 1998. Sure, i am not averse to having an autonomous regulatory authority. It has worked for telecom and there's no reason it should not work for transport too. Ravi,

First, however we feel about the way our telecom companies function(i’ve had my own complaints about Airtel), but still our telecom rates are the cheapest. All said and done its better than the days when we had to pay 300 bucks as bribery just to have my Dot (Pre- BSNL days) phone installed when we got our first telephone connection in 1998.

Sure, i am not averse to having an autonomous regulatory authority. It has worked for telecom and there’s no reason it should not work for transport too.

]]> By: prabukarthik http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35420 prabukarthik Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:47:31 +0000 http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35420 ratna, Just to give another perspective, have you ever booked an airline ticket 2 months in advance within India? Try booking the same ticket 2 days before your travel for the same destination. i bet the fares are different, and for a reason :) ratna,

Just to give another perspective, have you ever booked an airline ticket 2 months in advance within India? Try booking the same ticket 2 days before your travel for the same destination. i bet the fares are different, and for a reason :)

]]> By: prabukarthik http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35419 prabukarthik Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:45:37 +0000 http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35419 gowri, As i mentioned to u in chat, chennai vilupuram is already electrified. vaigai runs in electric locos till vilupuram. You may have your own reasons as a rail fan but that still translates to a more expensive way to operate given the current global oil prices. karthik shankaran, nandri hai. btw for heaven's sake please call me asap :) gowri,

As i mentioned to u in chat, chennai vilupuram is already electrified. vaigai runs in electric locos till vilupuram. You may have your own reasons as a rail fan but that still translates to a more expensive way to operate given the current global oil prices.

karthik shankaran,
nandri hai.
btw for heaven’s sake please call me asap :)

]]> By: arun http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35416 arun Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:58:59 +0000 http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35416 good post man..every time I bring up similar under-development issues among some of my friends, i am branded an "outsider" or "armchair philosopher" types... like so "dei poda...nee periya ivana.. vella kaarana aite da.." blah bleh blah.. :) glad to know that Indians in India feel the same way too... :) and not to be anal - but has it not been 61 "free" years as of last Independence day? any specific reason you've mentioned it as 65? if so, please echooch my ignorance and explain.. :) good post man..every time I bring up similar under-development issues among some of my friends, i am branded an “outsider” or “armchair philosopher” types… like so “dei poda…nee periya ivana.. vella kaarana aite da..” blah bleh blah.. :)

glad to know that Indians in India feel the same way too… :)

and not to be anal - but has it not been 61 “free” years as of last Independence day? any specific reason you’ve mentioned it as 65? if so, please echooch my ignorance and explain.. :)

]]> By: Ravi http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35413 Ravi Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:46:25 +0000 http://expertdabbler.com/2008/03/11/redesigning-public-transport-in-india/#comment-35413 PK, its true that the public transport in India has a long way to go but somehow I am not fully convinced that privatisation would help. Ofcourse, I was supporting privatisation but it definitely needs a hand to be controlled. Look what happened to the telecom industry itself. If not for an establishment like TRAI, am sure most companies would be looting us (as they do even now at every possible chance). And one more instance to quote would be the private bus services between Bangalore and Chennai. Just due to the demand (and the affordable IT class as well), the ticket prices in private buses have shot up multifold (I remember back in 2000 when the nomial cost would be 150 in KSRTC, the private buses would charge 300-350 Rs). Again, no one to question them. It would be nice if someone like TVS (or other genuine parties) start up such initiatives with the backing and monitoring of the government else it defeats the very purpose of making good transport (reasonably) afforadable for everyone. PK, its true that the public transport in India has a long way to go but somehow I am not fully convinced that privatisation would help. Ofcourse, I was supporting privatisation but it definitely needs a hand to be controlled. Look what happened to the telecom industry itself. If not for an establishment like TRAI, am sure most companies would be looting us (as they do even now at every possible chance). And one more instance to quote would be the private bus services between Bangalore and Chennai. Just due to the demand (and the affordable IT class as well), the ticket prices in private buses have shot up multifold (I remember back in 2000 when the nomial cost would be 150 in KSRTC, the private buses would charge 300-350 Rs). Again, no one to question them. It would be nice if someone like TVS (or other genuine parties) start up such initiatives with the backing and monitoring of the government else it defeats the very purpose of making good transport (reasonably) afforadable for everyone.

]]>