Using the Free Shuttle……

by September 19, 2010 Commute

Writing about something is better when one tries it out too. I wrote about the Free Shuttle offered by BMTC between the City Railway Station and the BMTC (Majestic) Bus Station,

here

so, when I returned from Hospet last Monday morning (13th September 2010), I decided to try it out.

For a start, the Free Shuttle stand is right in front of the entry/exit point of the Station, and clearly marked.

 free shuttle sign 130910

As you come out of the exit and face the Prepaid Auto stand, it is to the left of the stand. 

I had to wait about 15 min for the shuttle, and I think that is the approximate frequency of the shuttle, too.

free shuttle bus 130910 

There were only two other ladies apart from myself in the shuttle as it departed. Theysaid they were also trying it out for the first time! The driver, however, said, the response was quite good.

Perhaps this was a bad morning on which to try this out; there was a huge traffic jam outside the Station, and it took us 20 min to get to the Majestic Bus Stand! I feel that on normal days, the shuttle may reach in a few minutes. The Shuttle has a luggage rack, too:

Photobucket 

The shuttle  stops in front of the BMTC building, and I walked inside and out on the other side to access Route no. 365 that would take me home to J P Nagar.

Thanks to the BMTC for this excellent facility! ⊕

Sections:

About Deepa Mohan

Deepa Mohan is a freelance writer and avid naturalist.
Read more by Deepa Mohan

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

BEST no longer: How contract buses are hampering services in Mumbai

by March 5, 2025 Commute
Wet-leased buses, far outnumbering BEST’s own fleet now, are bogged down by multiple problems as contractors try to cut costs.

In Part 1 of this series, we discussed how BEST’s wet-leased buses — owned and operated by private contractors — are rapidly replacing its own fleet. In Part 2, we explore how this model is impacting the quality of bus services.Last December, nine people were killed and another 37 injured in an accident involving a wet-leased electric bus in Kurla. According to the police, the driver had not been adequately trained before being moved to an automatic electric bus from manual, geared buses. Under the wet-leasing model, introduced to cut BEST’s costs, a contractor owns and operates the bus, and…

Continue reading

Similar Story

Banking on contract buses, BEST to scrap three-quarters of its own fleet in a year

by March 4, 2025 Commute
While BEST plans to reduce its fleet to 226 buses, the workers' union is against contracted buses known for their poor service quality

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST), considered Mumbai’s second-biggest public transport lifeline, is far from its glory days. The bus accident in Kurla last December that killed nine passengers has brought sharp scrutiny on its operations. The company is also battling losses and recurrent workers’ strikes, the latest one being a flash strike by drivers last week at Wadala depot. According to activists and the BEST Workers’ Union, the core problem is the wet-leasing model introduced in 2018, under which contractors own and operate buses on behalf of BEST. Since then, BEST has steeply reduced its own fleet,…

Continue reading