Soon, Bangalore may see colourful BMTC buses for different areas of the city along with numbers that are easier to remember.
Soon, Bangalore may see colourful BMTC buses for different areas of the city along with numbers that are easier to remember. Taking into account the slightly confusing system of numbering used by the BMTC, experts have been suggesting renumbering the bus routes.
According to Ashwin Mahesh, CEO, Mapunity, “At present, there is no method in the way buses are named. When a route is created, a number is arbitrarily assigned to the route and branches of this route can be identified by the alphabets. The fact is that there is no reason behind the number for a particular route as there is no system,” he said.
He said the system of numbering has to be such that it makes sense to the public and not just the BMTC. “Unless you know what the meaning behind the number is, there is no real sense to it. It is not just the BMTC who has to understand the routes, but the public too.”
According to another transport planning expert, the idea to renumber routes along a trunk and feeder system will be a simpler method.
“The main number will be the number of the trunk services, which will be direction-based. This way, commuters will be able to identify which direction the bus is going in, based on the numbers. The suffix is the number or alphabet of the feeder services, which will be destination oriented,” he said.
Considering that the Big 10 services are direction-based, it will not be too hard for people to remember the buses along major roads such as Marathahalli, Sarjapur, Hosur Road, Bannerghatta Road, Kanakapura Road, Mysore Road, Magadi Road, Tumkur Road, Bellary road, Hennur Road, Nagavara and Old Madras Road.
These have already been numbered 1-12. Feeder services branching out from these services will be given either numbers or alphabets.
Colour-coded
The expert added that if the buses are colour-coded, it will be easier to identify the buses of a particular area. “Apart from the trunk having a particular colour, the feeders that branch out to places along the trunk routes will also be matched with the trunk service so commuters are able to identify the feeder services along particular routes.”
Although BMTC officials seem open to the idea, officials reiterate the problem with introducing trunk and feeder services, especially regarding the required changes in the fare system.
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