Author: Srikanth

BEST? Bus! Vroom, *pulls bellpull* Hi, I'm Srikanth. I'm a freelance media fellow with a fascination for buses, toll plazas, fire trucks and drones.

Two Old NMMT Buses Have Been Converted Into Upscale Portable Toilets In Navi Mumbai

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has converted two disused buses of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) undertaking into artistic mobile toilets. Navi Mumbai is currently the only city in Maharashtra that has received a five star rating among garbage-free cities and double plus rating for being open-defecation free. Currently ranked third in the Swachh Survekshan (Cleanliness Survey) conducted as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission, it aims to grab the first spot in the 2021 survey.

Two buses that were unfit to be used in regular service have been converted into artistic toilets. Both feature separate entrances for women (from the front) and men (from the rear) and have five toilet seats of which three are reserved for women. A urinal facility and two wash-basins are also present. Water is provided using a tank on top.

Here is a picture shared by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation on Social Media.

NMMT buses converted to toilets
NMMT buses converted to toilets (NMMC/Facebook)

What do you think? Will the public be enticed enough to make use of this?

It is good to see NMMC put their retired buses to such good use. This is surely a win for Swachh Bharat.

Also Read:

Public Transport and Cleanliness

World Toilet Day – #WeCantWait in Transit

If you intend to use the facilities on these buses, don’t forget to wear a mask and carry sanitizer with you!

Featured Image: NMMT Bus Kalamboli by Shreyas Chavare

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PMPML: Colour-Coded Buses To Identify Routes

In order to make commuting easier, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has decided to adopt a new colour-coded system of buses. Named CARISMA (Colour Coding All Routes To Identify Simplify Maps And App), the plan involves using 15 colours to help commuters identify bus routes, with 207 routes being covered in the first phase.

Planned on the lines of colour-coded lines of the London Underground (or Tube) operated by Transport for London (TfL), the colours of the bus will be displayed prominently on the front and rear of the bus so passengers can identify the route. Bus stops will be provided with a route chart of the colour-codes to help passengers get used to the new system.

Along with the colours, PMPML also plans to implement a QR code plan. A QR code at the bus stop will provide details of all buses that pass through that stop while a QR code inside the bus will provide details on the bus route and their stops. Live tracking of buses will be a prominent feature of the QR codes.

PMPML Chairman and Managing Director Rajendra Jagtap shared a video of the CARISMA would work on Facebook. Do take a look here:

The first two services launched as part of this new scheme are the ATAL and ABHI series. It seems that PMPML is looking to give Vice President Venkaiah Naidu a run for his money when it comes to acronyms. ATAL stands for Aligning Transit on All Lanes and ABHI stands for Airport Bus for business, home and hotel connectivity.

Under ATAL, buses will run for 5 km with a flat fare of ₹5 with a frequency of 5 minutes. They were initially launched in the Pimpri Chinchwad region on nine routes and later on expanded to several other regions near Pune Railway Station. Some of the ATAL routes operate using PMPML’s lesser known fleet of Force Motors’ Minibuses. Here is picture of these minibuses that was inducted in 2017.

The distance of ATAL buses is capped at a maximum of 6 km as per Jagtap and in future will be used as a model for feeder buses for MahaMetro services. Taking in feedback from passengers, drivers, conductors and also ticket sales from ETMs, PMPML will expand the services more.

The ABHI bus series was launched using the corporation’s electric bus fleet. This fleet, comprising of 43 Olectra-BYD’s K7 and K9 buses were procured by the Pune Smart City Development Corporation Limited (PSCDCL) under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship Smart Cities Mission and were originally flagged off in 2019 by former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Routes will be numbered starting with A (A-1 to A-5) for now with a minimum fare of ₹50 and a maximum fare of ₹180. Buses will stop at major establishments such as hotels and hospitals en route. WiFi and flight information will also be available for passengers on the bus.

ATAL buses will be coded in orange while ABHI buses will be coded in pink.

That’s all from me for now. I look forward to boarding one of these buses on my next trip to Pune.

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Also, whether you are travelling on a ATAL or ABHI, don’t forget to wear a mask and carry sanitizer. And if you are flying, do wear a face shield.

Featured image: ATAL bus belonging to the Swargate Depot (Rajendra Jagtap/Facebook)

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Spotted: Bajaj Qute As Mini Taxi In Bangalore

A few months ago, I had shared a picture of a Bajaj Qute operating as an auto-rickshaw in Andheri. Since then, I have seen the Qute several times on the streets of Mumbai. I managed to click one at JVPD Circle, right outside the Juhu Vile Parle Bus Station. Take a look here.

Bajaj Qute being used as an auto rickshaw at JVPD Bus Station, Andheri, Mumbai (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia) CC-BY-SA 4.0
Bajaj Qute being used as an auto rickshaw at JVPD Bus Station, Andheri, Mumbai (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia) CC-BY-SA 4.0

Also Read: A Bajaj QUTE Was Spotted Operating As An Auto-Rickshaw in Andheri

Now, the Qute has been making an appearance in other cities as well. The other day, I spotted a Qute operating as a Mini Taxi near Kalena Agrahara on Bannerghatta Road in Bangalore.

On doing some searching, I discovered that the Qute, which is a quadricycle is available on ride-sharing platform Uber since 2019. According to this report in the Times of India, quadricycles appear under the category of UberXS and were initially available in regions such as HSR Layout, Koramangala and Indiranagar. Fares would be set between that of Uber auto-rickshaws and UberGo.

A Business Standard report, also from 2019 stated that Ola had tied up to offer the Qute to its riders.

Here is the picture of the Qute that I snapped.

Bajaj Qute being used as a Taxi at Kalena Agrahara, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia) CC-BY-SA 4.0
Bajaj Qute being used as a Taxi at Kalena Agrahara, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia) CC-BY-SA 4.0

While I haven’t got the chance to take a Qute yet, I will be on the lookout for one soon.

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Also, whether you are travelling on a Bajaj Qute or a bus, don’t forget to wear a mask and carry sanitizer.

           

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In 2018, A Group Of Russians Dressed Up As A Cardboard Bus To Cross A Vehicular Bridge

Before the next serious post, here is some light-hearted humour from across the globe.

Exactly two years ago a group of Russians in the far-eastern city of Vladivostok decided to do something rather hilarious. Following several safety inspections, the Zolotoy Bridge that spans the Zolotoy Rog or the Golden Horn Bay was shut for pedestrians in 2015, three years after it first opened.

On the 13 of November 2018, four men wore a cardboard cutout shaped like a bus and were walking on the side of a live traffic lane and began crossing the bridge. They were eventually asked to “pull over” by a security guard and made to move to the side of the bridge and turn around.

A video of the “bus”, shot by a woman driving behind it went viral on the internet. You can watch the video here:

Looks like someone got bus-ted!

If you intend to go out, don’t bother dressing up as a bus, but don’t forget to wear a mask and carry some sanitizer.

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TMT Volvo Buses Feature Thermal Scanner For Passengers To Check Temperature On Entry

Several buses operated by the Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) undertaking have been fitted with thermal scanners for passengers to check their body temperature on entry into the bus. The scanner – essentially an infrared thermometer, much like the handheld ones that have become common recently – is located near the driver’s cockpit in the untertaking’s Volvo fleet where passengers generally enter from the front.

A note on the exterior of the bus states that the bus is equipped with a “temperature checking device in Marathi. Detailed instructions on how to use them are provided inside the bus next to the scanner.

Here is a picture of the scanner, clicked by fellow bus-fan Pankaj on Instagram.

TMT bus with thermal scanner. Picture via Pankaj's Instagram.
TMT bus with thermal scanner. Picture via Pankaj’s Instagram.

I’m not sure if other TMT buses or buses operated by any other transport body in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region are equipped with scanners yet.

AC buses operated by BEST are mostly on lease from private operators so including a scanner might be problematic. Further, given BEST’s minimum fare of ₹6 on AC buses, they remain crowded (especially in the absence of trains) and this may not work out well.

This measure, although welcome, should have been implemented at the start of the pandemic.

Let’s hope passengers make good use of it.

Also, don’t forget to follow Pankaj on Instagram: @_____pankaj____16

Also Read: Asian cities virus-proof public transit with smart shelters, thermal scanners by Rina Chandran for Reuters.

Also, if you intend to go out, don’t forget a mask and sanitizer!

Featured image: TMT Volvo on Route 126 (Dharmadhyaksha/Wikimedia Commons)

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This Is Probably The Most Gorgeous Photograph Of The Colaba Depot At Night Ever!

Of all the BEST depots, the most photogenic one of all seems to be the Colaba Depot, mainly due to the location of the Cusrow Bagh Parsi Colony located right next doors.

I’ve posted two aerial pictures of Colaba so far, both clicked by Ujjwal Puri aka Ompsyram on Instagram.

Here is one of the Colaba Depot and Electric House clicked at night and man does it look gorgeous with all those lights around it!

Absolutely gorgeous isn’t it? Don’t forget to follow Ujjwal on Instagram!

Also Read:

Give Me Red: Drool Over Yet Another Picture Of Colaba Depot And Its Mini-Buses

Feast Your Eyes On This Photograph Of Electric House And Colaba Depot

That’s all from me for the time-being. Do consider backing me up on Patreon!

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Also, if you intend to go out, don’t forget a mask and sanitizer!

       

Featured image: Mini-buses parked at Colaba Depot by Nikhil Sawant

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Did You Know CoEP Has A PG Diploma In Metro Rail Tech And Electric Mobility?

To all those transport enthusiast there who want to study a course related to transport, but not do a Masters in Planning or Engineering, the College of Engineering, Pune (CoEP) has two options. Both of them are one-year, full time Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) courses: PGD Electric Mobility (PGDEM) and PGD Metro Rail Technology PGDMRT).

Do note: The admission window for the 2020-2021 batch closed in July 2020. You can use this post as a reference for the next year (if the Institute continues with the course; which it probably will).

Here are the links to the brochures of both courses. I’ll give a brief description of both below:

PGD Electric Mobility Brochure
PGD Metro Rail Technology Brochure

PGD in Electric Mobility

The PGDEM course is offered by CoEP along with Cummins College of Engineering for Women, the Savitribai Phule Pune University in association with Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA).

The course involves EV System Design and Integration, Energy Storage Systems including Lithium Batteries, Fuel Cells, Ultracapacitors and Powertrains.

It also involves thermal design and the mechanical design of EV systems and their components and also Standards, Policies and Regulations on EVs.

PGD in Metro Rail Technology

The PGDMRT course is offered by the Department of Civil Engineering of the CoEP.

Divided into two semesters, the first semester has courses on railways and civil engineering, rail wheel interaction, mechanical traction and electrical traction and a course on elevated structures. The second semester looks at railway signaling and telecommunications, metro rail engineering and has a course on underground structures. The entire course includes site visits to Metro Rail projects and has a project and practical courses.

Sadly, I was too late to notice this for the current academic year. However, on the bright side, it is good that such courses are being offered in our country, especially given that Electric Mobility and Metro Rail is the future.

This is a good chance for those interested in Metro Tech and Electric Mobility.

Featured Image: College of Engineering, Pune

If you’re wishing to travel around, don’t forget to carry sanitizer, wear a mask and a face shield.

       

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Check Out Some Cool Footage Of Bangalore’s Pop-Up Cycle Lanes

Last month I had posted about the BMTC installing cycle racks to the front of their buses. I had also mentioned that the BMTC and BBMP were setting up dedicated cycle lanes across the city including a pop-up cycle lane along Outer Ring Road next to the existing pop-up bus priority lane.

Thanks to Twitter user Nihar Thakkar (@Nihart1024), I got to see some of the work being done. Here are some images and videos of the cycle lanes.

For starters, here is a cycle parking stand under the split flyover at Agara Junction on Outer Ring Road.

This is on the Service Lane of ORR near the junction of the road bound for Whitefield. You can see the under-construction section of the Purple Line bound for Whitefield.

Here is a video of the section in question.

Here is a picture of a cycle lane built as part of the TenderSURE program in Central Bangalore.

And now, getting back to Outer Ring Road, some imagery of the lanes being installed.

Sadly, BBMP is using plastic reflective bollards. These bollards are pretty flexible and can easily be damaged. Someone on a joyride in the middle of the night can just mow down these bollards. I do wish, more sturdy ones or even a fence similar to the one that NHAI uses to separate the service lanes from the main carriageway on Hosur Road was used.

Here are videos and images of the cycle lane.

And here is a video of Nihar cycling on the Cycle Lane!

Since the Cycle Lanes are separated by bollards, the likelihood of people parking their cars on them is limited. Also, since they are on the right hand side of the service lane, it is on the side of the road where nobody would (hopefully) park. I sincerely hope that BBMP replaces any damaged or removed bollards to prevent cars from entering these lanes and also does something to prevent motorbikes from entering these lanes. I also hope the cycle lanes don’t disappear when the road is resurfaced (as it happened in Jayanagar) and that BBMP will maintain a uniform quality for the road surface.

That being said, I hope pedestrian infrastructure is next in the pipeline.

Bums on the Saddle, everyone!

Also Read:

Reclaiming The Pavement For The Pedestrian: Ten Ways To Implement This by Srikanth Ramakrishnan on Swarajya

How Pune Plans To Cycle Into A Smart City by Srikanth Ramakrishnan on Swarajya

Featured Image: Cycle Lane on Outer Ring Road by Nihar Thakkar

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MSRTC Lal Paris Dot Mumbai Streets On BEST Routes

In the last one month, BEST has been junking some of its buses that are over 15 years old, resulting in a shortage of buses. Simultaneously with metro and monorail services shut and suburban services restricted, the undertaking is facing a severe shortage of buses. In order to augment its capacity temporarily, BEST has decided to rent out buses from its younger sibling the MSRTC at a rate of ₹75 per kilometre. MSRTC (or ST) will also provide drivers and conductors as part of the agreement. The buses in question are primarily ST’s fleet of red Parivartan buses, also known as Lal Dabbas or to some fans as Lal Paris.

While 200 buses were initially rented, MSRTC is expected to supply a total of 1,000 buses of its 18,000 buses. Note. Prior to its bifurcation in 2014, the APSRTC had India’s largest fleet of buses, entering the Guinness Book of World Records in 1999 with a fleet strength of 22,000 buses. Post the split, APSRTC has been left with 12,000 buses while TSRTC was given 10,000 buses, making MSRTC the current largest.

The BEST committee is however not enthused with this move. The BMC has decided to cut ₹500 crore for BEST but is going ahead to paying MSRTC. At the same time, 450 of BEST air-conditioned mini and midi buses that have been acquired on a wet lease are lying unused at various depots. The Mumbai Bus Malak Sanghatana, a body of private bus owners has offered to lease their buses at ₹55 per kilometre, and the decision to not use these private buses has also been questioned. There are also allegations of possible scams under the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in the purchase of body bags and procurement of food packets.

Anyway, scams aside, here are some photographs of the buses on several routes.

Some ST buses don’t have route markings and the conductor is shouting out the route number and destination on reaching the stop.



That’s all from me for now.

Let’s hope BEST purchases new buses soon.

Featured Image: An ST bus on a BEST route by Karthik Nadar via Twitter.

P.S: If you’re venturing out, please do ensure that you are wearing a mask. Do try Peter England or Van Heusen on Amazon below.

     

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BMTC Sets Up Cycle Stands On Buses, To Set Up Cycle Lanes Along Outer Ring Road

Going a step ahead in trying to make Bangalore a friendlier city for cyclists, BMTC has installed cycle stands to the front of their buses.

Managing Director of BMTC C Shikha said that the fabrication of the stand was done by employees at BMTC’s Central workshop at Shanthinagar. In a report for Times of India, Christin Mathew Philip says that the BMTC also plans a pop-up cycle lane for 16 km between Central Silk Board and Lowry Medical College where a bus priority lane has also been marked.

Here is what the new cycle racks look like.

This is the second time that the BMTC is experimenting with cycle racks on buses. The last time, Volvo had installed cycle racks on a few Volvo 8400 buses operated in and around Whitefield in 2011 but the experiment fizzled out after a while.

Apart from buses, Namma Metro too allows cyclists to carry their cycles on metro trains but only foldable cycles that can pass through the scanner ae allowed.

In a report for The Hindu, BMTC Chairman N.S. Nandiesha Reddy said that while 100 buses would initially be fitted with cycle stands, it would eventually be extended to the entire fleet.

Bangalore has experimented in many forms to get people to start cycling.

Between 2011 and 2012, the city partnered with Kerberon Automation to set up cycle stands across the city to promote the concept of rented cycles. Fixed cycle stands were set up in core areas (such as the Brigade Road bus stop where G-4 starts). Users would have to pay a deposit, get a smart card and then use the cycles. Around the same time, cycle lanes were made available in localities such as Jayanagar by demarcating the outermost section of major roads as cycle-only. However, these lanes were mostly used to park cars – which although a punishable offence was rarely punished. Eventually, they vanished, either after being dug up to lay utilities or when the road was resurfaced and the cycle lanes no longer marked.

By 2018, dockless cycles from private players such Yulu, Zoomcar PEDL and Ola Pedal had found a market in the city.

Let’s hope this time, the city learns from its past mistakes and promotes cycling in a big way.

Also Read: Emission-Free Last-Mile Connectivity: Why Bengaluru Must Build Safe Cycle Tracks Than Go After Pod Taxis by Srikanth Ramakrishnan on Swarajya.

P.S: If you’re planning to cycle around, do consider wearing a good mask. I’ve personally tried the 3M Aura Particulate Respirator to work well. It complies with NIOSH N-95 standards. Do check it out below. You can also try out the Savlon one if 3M masks are out of stock (which they are most of the time). Savlon is a good brand, owned by ITC (earlier Johnson and Johnson). Alternatively, you can try Wuerth, which was the first FFP1 standard mask that I tried.

          

Featured Image: Cycle Rack on a 500-D by Nihar Thakkar.

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