<p>The BMTC is planning a complete upgrade of its Vayu Vajra services bringing to commuters the facility of reserving seats to make their commute to the airport comfortable and reliable.<br /><br />Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has deployed 90 buses on the airport route which ply from 12 different locations in the city.<br /><br />“This feature (reservation) is part of a larger scheme of things aimed at streamlining the services. We are looking at a total mobility solution that takes into the account the commuters’ first- and last-mile travel,” BMTC managing director V Ponnuraj said.<br /><br />He, however, said the proposal was still in the planning stage and “there are several things and issues to be considered”. “We have to make several modifications, including simplification of ticketing systems. These will be done. We want to improve the travel experience of our commuters,” he said.<br /><br />Providing reservation in buses is not the corporation’s first move in making its buses commuter friendly. The BMTC app, launched in 2015, was the first step towards making the buses reliable.<br /><br />The rise of app-based cab aggregators like Ola and Uber has posed a big challenge to BMTC. From picking up passengers from their doorsteps to providing discounts, cab aggregators have won over a significant portion of airport-bound commuters.<br /><br />BMTC officials, however, said the buses will remain the commuters’ favourite as cab fares go up in the coming days. “In cabs, commuters pay different rates according to the demand-supply ratio and the dynamic pricing model. BMTC may give rebate for advanced booking depending on the number of travellers,” an official said.<br /><br />The official said introducing the feature of reservation will also help bring more commuters to AC buses running empty on other routes.<br /><br />DH News Service</p>
<p>The BMTC is planning a complete upgrade of its Vayu Vajra services bringing to commuters the facility of reserving seats to make their commute to the airport comfortable and reliable.<br /><br />Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has deployed 90 buses on the airport route which ply from 12 different locations in the city.<br /><br />“This feature (reservation) is part of a larger scheme of things aimed at streamlining the services. We are looking at a total mobility solution that takes into the account the commuters’ first- and last-mile travel,” BMTC managing director V Ponnuraj said.<br /><br />He, however, said the proposal was still in the planning stage and “there are several things and issues to be considered”. “We have to make several modifications, including simplification of ticketing systems. These will be done. We want to improve the travel experience of our commuters,” he said.<br /><br />Providing reservation in buses is not the corporation’s first move in making its buses commuter friendly. The BMTC app, launched in 2015, was the first step towards making the buses reliable.<br /><br />The rise of app-based cab aggregators like Ola and Uber has posed a big challenge to BMTC. From picking up passengers from their doorsteps to providing discounts, cab aggregators have won over a significant portion of airport-bound commuters.<br /><br />BMTC officials, however, said the buses will remain the commuters’ favourite as cab fares go up in the coming days. “In cabs, commuters pay different rates according to the demand-supply ratio and the dynamic pricing model. BMTC may give rebate for advanced booking depending on the number of travellers,” an official said.<br /><br />The official said introducing the feature of reservation will also help bring more commuters to AC buses running empty on other routes.<br /><br />DH News Service</p>