Adding Zing to Nightlife

For the city's glitterati it was time for euphoria. They have been smarting under jibes from their counterparts in Mumbai and Delhi that Bangalore has no night life. The closing time of restaurants and bars at 11.30 pm was seen as too uptight. Now the government has decided to take baby steps towards extending the deadline to 1 am for eateries on all days and for bars on Fridays and Saturdays, though with a caveat of 'trial period' for three months.

The city youths and some advocacy groups drawn from the who is who of technology economy had all along felt that such early closing hours does not jell with a city of international repute. With general elections round the corner the netas feel tempted to toss crumbs to the electorate and what better way to woo first time voters than increasing party hours. However the guys who are actually smirking and hoping for a windfall are those from the liquor lobby.
 
The men in khaki were always seen as party poopers as they had all along been saying that the existing staff has been stretched to their limits and they badly need some fresh recruits. But they had to willy nilly fall in line after being assured the cold comfort of support from home guards.
 
However they are not the only ones opposing it. The message boards of various news reports on many web sites have a legion of naysayers saying that crime graph would spike. Those nostalgic about end of pensioner's paradise era in city felt it will only help rich 'outsiders' get sloshed and drive cars and motorcycles under the influence.
 
Many also point out that though it would be okay to keep bars open for longer hours at the central business districts, but those located in predominantly residential suburbs could make lives miserable for nearby residents. It would only mean loud music, eve teasing and alcohol fuelled wheelies and drag racing  in their neighbourhood.
 
But the advocates of extended nightlife counter that crowds out on roads well past midnight will provide the safety of numbers and crime will actually come down. Keeping bars open well past midnight will discourage binge drinking.
 
However amid this din of heavily polarised debate nobody is asking what actually constitutes night life? Is it just keeping bars and restaurants open? What about public transport system such as BMTC buses and Metros? Shouldn't they also ply till the closing hours of nightlife? In its present form the only people who can enjoy nightlife are those who have their own vehicle (preferably chauffeur driven as police alcometers will be working overtime) or can afford taxis and autos. For others the extension of nightlife has little meaning. Hence, the argument about safety of numbers rings hollow.
 
The reason why a city like Mumbai has a bustling nightlife and continues to be fairly safe is because its public transport system functions almost round the clock. The last suburban train from Churchgate and CST leaves at 1.45 am and then begins services for the next day by 4 am. Same is the case with its BEST buses. It not only provides the safety of numbers on the streets but dissuades auto and taxi drivers from charging a fortune.

Also Read: Random Jottings

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