City needs peak hour spl public transport system

By CT reporter
MANGALORE : In the backdrop of the city and rural service buses operating in and around the city remaining overcrowded during peak hours in mornings and evenings, presently a demand is heard from some corners to introduce special bus services during peak hours.
Particularly with the Special Economic Zone on cards in the city and various multi-storied complexes and other business and commercial establishments coming up in the city, presently a need has arisen for a much more efficient public transport system.
There is no denying the fact that the existing city and rural service buses have lagged behind in providing efficient services and meeting the expectations of the people. Today, there are instances when a city bus of a capacity of just 45 passengers is loaded with as much as 125 people. The situation can very well be imagined.
For that matter, this problem is not distinct to the city of Mangalore alone. The same is the situation in various other cities of the state. The peak hours can be classified as from 8 am to 10 am and 4 pm to 6 pm and it is during this time that most of the buses are overcrowded.
While the system of special trasnprot facilities during peak hours has turned out to be successful in Bangalore, the same has not met with success in our city of mangalore. In a way it can be said no pain was taken to implement the system at all.
But there is no denying the fact that the private bus services or van services introduced by private educational institutions for thier students, has to some extent reduced the congestion in city buses. While road tax to the tune of less than Rs 1000 is collected from such omni buses, the private city buses are levied ten times more the tax.
Though a few bus operators have shown interest in running special buses during peak hours, their wish could not be materialsied due to high taxes. The Canara Bus Operators’ Association too is interested in such a new system on the Maharashtra lines. The Association has even conducted a study in this direction. The Association feels such a system was highly beneficial provided the government reduces the taxes levied on buses.
On an average 2.5 lakh people travel every day in the around 2200 private buses in Udupi and Mangalore and on an average 120 passengers travel in each bus.
The need of the hour is for the RTO to make up its mind in this direction. Even the transport commissioner and the deputy commissioner who is the RTO chairman, can give a serious thought towards this direction as such a step if initiated would surely lead to an orderly public transport system, in both the districts of Dakshina Kannada nad Udupi.