Munger on urban transportation

[skthewimp]

The latest podcast on Econtalk has Duke economist Mike Munger talking about public transport, and how things have changed for the worse in Santiago after public transport was nationalized.

One of the points mentioned in the podcast talks about homogeneity in services after nationalization. Munger talks about how usage of the public transport system

Comments

[anushsh]

Totally agree with you. I'd be more happy to reach my office by Suvarna/Volvo rather than some totally crowded ordinary bus. Infact I still wait for the Pushpak Bus every morning since the Suvarna buses never come on time and the volvo buses have been pulled off ever since the new airport has started functioning. (I live in BSK 3rd Stage).

Evenings are still more horrible. You find people with rods and other construction equipments standing next to you and its quite scary. I dont mind sitting next to them but with so many dangerous tools in a totally crowded bus is too much.

I always thought only ring roads had this problem of total crowded situation, but even the city centers. Its impossible to get into a bus from Basavanagudi to Jayanagar 4th block after 5 PM.

The only way to solve this problem is to maintain that exclusivity. BMTC has to think long term. Suvarna can bridge the gap of affordability (very ideal for office goers since its not really crowded and very comfortable to go standing). They should maintain proper timings

[skthewimp]

whoa
i didn't know that normal volvo buses got pulled off thanks to the airport. I thought it was some kind of an additional service.

and yeah - suvarna is a good option since A/C is not as necessary as exclusivity! but I have one problem with it - it is a "no pass" bus. I think usage of passes is essential to make people switch to public transport. maybe there could be a "premium pass" which can be used on Suvarna.

[skthewimp]

yeah i've traveled on these private buses when I visited Cochin (this was in 2002). slightly crowded but they were quite frequent and fast.

even the delhi buses are quite quick between stops, but they take too much time at stops. I think this problem can be solved if you have enough buses - this guy will want to leave the stop before the next bus arrives there.

and interesting funda regarding the student tickets. just goes to show that price controls never work the way they are intended to.

Volvo buses

[iwannabeahuman]

Well..I didn’t know much about ‘ Hero pens’, but I would like to voice my opinion regarding ‘urban transportation’.

To be honest, I never enjoyed traveling in Volvo buses. Firstly, I am not suited up most of the time, so it’s a little too cold for me. The atmosphere in these buses is preety stuffy and I get a headache from the scorching stench of the ‘branded perfumes’ the passengers use to mask their stink! Secondly, most people sit with their legs crossed pretending to be civilized. Lastly, what bothers me the most, is that, very often I catch them stealing a glance at me through the corner of their newspapers, which they use to cover up their faces. Such creepy glances through their ‘tinted Ray-Ban sunglasses’ give me chills. I never know when they will jump at me and poke me in my gut with their ‘ imported, folded umbrellas’.

I rather prefer ordinary public transportation. I can breathe freely, people enjoy my presence and they feed me now and then.