Sunday, September 9, 2007

PMT - Can it be better this way

Pune is a city where we don't have stretches in one direction.
The way currently buses run on the routes in long stretches.
That makes the availability of buses from one point to other, half an hour (minimum) or something like that.

I am typically talking about the routes that leads to outskirts of the city.

Lets take an example, from the area where I live. Aundh D. P. Road

There is a bus every 30 mins from Deccan. So at any given point of time (worst case) a person has to wait for 59 mins (considering he just missed the bus), which is just too much and leads to people reluctant to use public transport system.

Now how about some innovation like this :

1. Split the routes in 2 / 3 sections
2. Lets use the same example bus no 105 running from deccan to D P Road Aundh
3. If we split in two sections, we can increase the availablity of service considerably
4. Split the route in 2 sections
5. One - From Deccan to Unversity main gate (Old days it was called university circle)
6. Two - From University main gate to D P Road

Details of split One
1. Run 2 buses in ring pattern
1a> Forward route : Deccan, Simla office (Observatory), pumping station, Govt Polytechnic Pune, Chatturshringi corner (Next to the new overbridge)
1b> Return route : Chatturshtringi Corner, chatturshringi, Vetal baba chouk, Symboiosys, Bhandarkar Road, Deccan

Details of split Two
2. Run 2 buses in ring pattern again
2a> University Main gate / Down the University gate flyover( Chatturshringi corner), sakal nagar, baner phata, sane wadi, ITI, D P Road, DAV Public school, new D P road, Convergis, Parihar chouk, Bremen chouk, Kasturba, Goal market, University main gate
2b> Exactly opposite to route 2a. : University Main gate / Down the Overbridge Chatturshringi corner, Goal market, Kasturba, Bremen Chouk, Parihar chouk, convergis, new d p road, DAV public school, ITI, Baner phata, Sakal nagar, University main gate flyover

Advantages of this scheme :

1. Availability of bus to reach next hop increases from 30 - 59 mins to 10-15 mins (Improvement of 65 - 70%)
2. Flexibility to reach many locations in the vicinity thru multiple routes
3. Avoids buses running back to back to the same destination (making the bus behind the other an overhead without business)
4. Since the outskirt routes has less traffic, a little less fuel efficient buses can run there
5. Off peak hours, mini buses may run on the outskirt routes saving a lot of fuel
6. Better fuel efficient buses can run inside the cities
7. Less pressure on drivers, as they can take alternate turns on the outskirt routes and inside city routes (rotation will help them relax as they are driving)
8. As revenue increases PMT can reduce the fairs on routes that are making good business, and lead to more business
9. The hops can be designed for max 15-20 mins drive, thus the seating arrangement can be changed from horizontal to vertical, making more space for people to stand (something similar to what airport buses have) Commuters won't mind standing for 15-20 mins since they are going to get down at the next hop or even before that.

Disadvantage :
1. Commuters have to change buses at the next hop. Mainly difficult for elderly people. But pmt already allows senior citizens to use front door entry. May be more seats can be reserved for the elderly, women and children

Extension to above design would be to design the next step as Aundh Goan, Parihar chouk, convergis, Sangavi and back to Aundh goan and a pair in opposite direction.

Every outskirt would need a different design and different implementation. I am sure those working in PMT can definitely customize solution for individual route.