[m8002?]

Originally Posted by PreludeSH

Even Buses need roads. We see 10s of buses on our roads at same places and they are impacted by traffic. Elevated, dedicated roads for buses will help most.

We need to find a balance between buses and cars so that the traffic is moving more freely. Provide good bus service with last mile connectivity and that will remove many Ola/Uber from the roads.

I am not sure how long you are in Bangalore. We did have a dedicated bus lane before Covid and I was using the Volvos to commute to Whitefield at that time. Cabs, autos and two wheelers were happily using that lane blocking the buses with the BTP as mute spectators.

Originally Posted by PreludeSH

For Kanakapura road, the other parallel roads are Bannerughatta, Hosur road and Mysuru road. Except Mysuru road, none of them are free flowing.

Thats exactly what I mentioned. The elevated stretches on Hosur/Tumkur road rarely made a dent in smooth flow of traffic. Instead of stopping for 3 minutes at each of the 5 signals below, we wait for 15 min at the start/end of the flyovers.

[am1m]

Even with a very good public transport system with good last-mile connectivity, road traffic will continue to fill up all available road space. Even if there are 4-lane roads across the entire city (after we have cut down all the trees on the sides of the road to widen them), there will be jams. Unless there are corresponding measures to discourage private transport like congestion charges, odd-even, high taxes on vehicle ownership, etc. (https://www.tatlerasia.com/power-pur...lution-360info) And we are a long way from that.

What we want (or some of us want) is full-on investment in public transport in Bangalore, so that some of us, who choose to utilize it, have an alternative.

Not investing in mega road projects is probably one way to disincentivize private transport, a lot less disruptive than congestion charges, odd-even rules, etc.

Thinking a couple of generations ahead, for the overall good of the city, what is better for a young city resident: to think "why should I buy a car at all?" or to rant "I paid so much for a car, now on top of that I need to pay congestion charge, follow odd-even rules, pay high parking charges, etc."


I have posted this again and again, I really lament the lost opportunity- with Bangalore's narrow side roads, if the government had managed to discipline the auto drivers early on, autos+Metro would be all that most residents, who are using cars today, would really need.

[Jazzybala]

Originally Posted by am1m

I have posted this again and again, I really lament the lost opportunity- with Bangalore's narrow side roads, if the government had managed to discipline the auto drivers early on, autos+Metro would be all that most residents, who are using cars today, would really need.

I agree with this part a 100%! Add to this a half decent BMTC network properly spread into the newly developed areas, half the vehicular traffic would have stayed off the road.

[ShreyG]

Originally Posted by am1m

if the government had managed to discipline the auto drivers early on, autos+Metro would be all that most residents, who are using cars today, would really need.

Bang on! Public transport in Mumbai is successful exactly because of this. Last mile connectivity is mostly sorted with local trains helping cover longer distances and autos providing an option for shorter commutes.

If not trains / metros, BMTC could have served the purpose of the long commute. I am sure a lot of people would be happy to board a bus from Silk Board to Hebbal / Whitefield even if it was 5kms away if autos were willing to just go at a somewhat inflated price rather than their hyperinflated demands while bearing their rudeness and brazen rule breaking.

But Alas! Being a newer big city, the focus is only on looting the coffers that actual problem solving and development. Vanity projects upon vanity projects are being left midway or take decades to complete with blame games and excuses galore. And condition of existing infrastructure would leave you exasperated.

[hikozaru]

The city needs to stop doing everything that they are doing and should just buy every available bus (electric, non electric, AC, non AC) on sale right now and hire drivers and conductors to run them. Metro expansions and even fixing roads can come later. Once people see relatively uncrowded buses plying on routes they frequent, more people will start using it.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by ShreyG

...if autos were willing to just go at a somewhat inflated price rather than their hyperinflated demands while bearing their rudeness and brazen rule breaking.

Try the Namma Yatri app. I've hated interacting with Bangalore auto guys since school days in the 90s. But past year or two, I've been pleasantly surprised with the experience on this app.

It's a very small sample size, I only use the app to book autos between home and the nearest Metro station. But so far I've had no cancellations. The drivers that take the trouble to get on the app are probably those who are more willing to work for a living. As opposed to the politically-affiliated thugs at the 'official' auto stands and metro/railway stations, who don't seem to want to go anywhere! The drivers on the app seem to actually care about the rating on the app. It is expensive, about 100 bucks for 4-5 km, but no haggling, no 'double meter' nonsense.

I've even used the app to get autos in Mysore. Another destination that we've stopped using the car to get to, since there are enough trains, and now apparently a somewhat reliable way to get autos. Big relief to be able to use the train and not have to face the huge traffic jams heading back from Mysore to Bangalore on a Sunday evening!

Originally Posted by sumathindra

The quality of many Namma Yatri autos are really bad. Uber is way better however cannot be vouched for promptness especially when you need them badly! (murphy's law)

Oh that's unfortunate. I've had no issues with the condition of the autos so far, but must be area-specific. I uninstalled Uber and Ola since I never seemed to get an auto through them, and frequent cancellations. Again, I guess an area-specific issue, though I read somewhere that auto drivers have migrated to the Namma Yatri app because they don't have to pay a commission on each ride, like Ola or Uber. Anyway more apps, more competition, always better for both the drivers and the customers.

[sumathindra]

Originally Posted by am1m

Try the Namma Yatri app.

The quality of many Namma Yatri autos are really bad. They almost equal to a metal scrap! Uber is way better however cannot be vouched for promptness especially when you need them badly! (murphy's law)

Metered auto is another app/whatsapp based auto system, never tried it as there is no app for iOS yet!

[ShreyG]

Originally Posted by am1m

Try the Namma Yatri app.

Unfortunate timing - https://www.deccanherald.com/india/k...a-fare-3311478

Namma yatri has been a hit or miss for me in terms of response (although there has never been demand for fares beyond what's decided on the app). However, the last time I used it was for a short 5kms ride where the auto driver was clearly the descendant of Michael Schumacher. I literally had to hold on while he sped along breaking all the traffic signals. Fortunately I was spared the adventure of wrong side driving since it was not possible.

Since then, seems the hooligans have also onboarded onto the app with their one-and-a-half demands and are ready to fight at the slightest provocation. Hopefully , somehow Namma Yatri will be able to weed out the wrongdoers before they start forming a union to take over and run even the app on their whims and fancies.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by ShreyG

Unfortunate timing - https://www.deccanherald.com/india/k...a-fare-3311478

Damn sad, leave it to our auto guys to ruin a good thing. Unfortunate that the government and cops can't do a damn thing to discipline these thugs. of course our politicians extend every support to these vote banks.

[condor]

Originally Posted by ShreyG

Namma yatri has been a hit or miss for me in terms of response (although there has never been demand for fares beyond what's decided on the app). .

The app does mostly quote higher, and then the drivers will often accept if we add an additional tip - over and above the 10 Rs pickup charge that is already factored in.

One journey I checked - 100 via the app, and 70 when I was able to flag down a passing rick on the return leg.

And then NY fares are mostly the same or sometimes a bit higher than Ola/Uber. They are allowed to take short-cuts, but that benefit is not passed on to us: The route when hiring the rick would be one, But if they take a short cut then the fare is not re-calculated.

*

on another note, with the advent of these apps - NY, Ola, Uber - auto drivers often dont want direct hire. And I will not even get into their driving behaviour, or even parking right at corners etc.

[bejoy]

A couple of roads where the shared auto is working well - Haralur road and Hosa (Jail) road. I have used it a few times and it is very convenient - almost guaranteed last mile connectivity. It runs during daytime and fare is 10-25Rs based on the distance.

HSR Layout has a very nice feeder bus system (HSR FDR1 and HSR FDR1A) connecting different sectors, that runs every 10 minutes clockwise and anti-clockwise. This service completed 1 year now and it is a huge success, with the trips running almost full. But there are a lot of pockets where it is not covered. I wish this gets complemented with shared auto on the main road (27th Main, 19th main, etc) and my office commute and errands will be sorted.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/.../112451507.cms

[am1m]

Since we were discussing adding roads, never realized it had been studied for a long time:

"Braess's paradox is the observation that adding one or more roads to a road network can slow down overall traffic flow through it."

"...open the Triborough Bridge to ease congestion on the Queensborough Bridge, open the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge to ease congestion on the Triborough Bridge and then watching traffic counts on all three bridges mount until all three were as congested as one had been before, planners could hardly avoid the conclusion that "traffic generation" was no longer a theory but a proven fact: the more highways were built to alleviate congestion, the more automobiles would pour into them and congest them and thus force the building of more highways – which would generate more traffic and become congested in their turn in an ever-widening spiral that contained far-reaching implications for the future of New York and of all urban areas."

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braess%27s_paradox
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_demand

[Jazzybala]

I have found Rapido Auto to be fairly reliable these days. No haggling or cancellation, prompt response except when there is a genuine surge in the locality and the price is on the fairer side.

If you add the minimum tip indicated in the app, the response us even better.