Commuting On Fast Lane

Hi! We were hailed as red hot beauties when we hit the narrow, potholed roads of Bangalore, teeming with two wheelers and cars. Our sleek low floor design and glassy exterior was a major head turner and many used to gawk at us when our automatic doors used to open and shut with precision at bus stops.

Being used to slow moving and rickety Pushpaks, whose seats are cruder versions of massage chairs, the commuters found us refreshingly fast and futuristic. But our fares - 'ouch', they seemed prohibitive. But later on they were lowered and minimum fare was pegged at Rs 10. This pushed up occupancy and collection.

The patrons started marvelling at the plush seats, air conditioned comfort, electronic display, the public address and FM radio inside the bus.

Many even felt pleasantly surprised that these buses actually had conductors and that too women in many cases. Many of namma city buses have drivers doubling up as conductors. And they spend precious time collecting fares and rummaging the bag for loose change and arguing with passengers. For drivers in Volvo buses there was an added bonus - they no longer had to contend with cumbersome walking stick like gears.

Slowly and steadily the word got around that these upmarket buses were not as expensive as perceived. My peers, who were plying on routes such as ITPL and Electronic City started witnessing a jump in occupancy. During the peak hours the buses on these routes will be full of laptop wielding IT crowd with i-pods plugged to their ears and access cards dangling around their necks.

Though these buses were well received by commuters, their main grouse was that it was not very comfortable for those standing, especially if they happened to be short. Those sudden lunges, induced by the brakes, would often make them wish they were a few inches taller! However I wish to clarify that for those lunges we are not at fault. Our drivers apply our high tech brakes the same way as they used to do with Tata and Ashok Leyland buses.They step on them as if they were trampling a cockroach under their foot.

However, with passage of time the all-pervasive corrosive influence of BMTC have finally caught up with Volvo buses too. Often some of us belch out smoke in no small measure than our desi counterparts, crying for some urgent engine tuning. In some buses the overhanging stirrups meant for the standing passengers either badly need replacement or are missing. In some buses the automatic doors open and shut with a squeal, which almost sound like 'greeease pleease'.

Probably the worst hit is the hi-tech rear view camera display. It enjoyed a pride of place near the driver's seat and commuters used to look at it in wide-eyed excitement as the tiny display screen used to show vehicles in the rear. However, nowadays in most buses it has become dysfunctional and the display screen has been reduced to an empty plastic frame and sometimes even photos of various Hindu deities adorn them. The public address seems to have become a thing of past, though not many seem to be missing it.

When we were introduced in Bangalore, there was not much publicity. In fact, we got eclipsed under shadow of hype over namma metro, and were dubbed as elitist in early days. However, we still succeeded to a good extent in redefining the way Bangaloreans commute. At least we have provided a decent alternative to those travelling on arterial roads.

Also Read: Random Jottings