A survey revealed that 33% of people in Bengaluru blame lack of frequent public transport service, for using private vehicles in the city. Tech corridors like Outer Ring Road (ORR), Whitefield, Hebbal lack the frequency of BMTC buses and there is a desperate need to add new routes to cater to the residents living in these areas.
Public transport connectivity a major problem
Poor first and last-mile connectivity is also one of the reasons why 24% of citizens used private transport. Other factors discouraging people from traveling in public transport included accessibility (22%), convenience (19%) and affordability (3%), the sources said.
The survey is done on people who use alternative modes of transport like personal mobility (83%), shared mobility (19%) and rental mobility (1%).
In this survey, there were 88% of men, who use personal mobility as compared to 63% of women. Moreover, 37% of women used shared mobility than men who were only 11%.
Among public transport users, 51% use shared mobility, 44% personal mobility and 5% rental mobility for first-mile connectivity. For last-mile connectivity, 68% used shared mobility and 6% rental mobility.
Reason people choose for private vehicle
People also complained about the lack of direct buses in the city. Without direct connectivity people are hesitant to use buses for long-distance, having to switch a bust at various points. Usually, there are no seats in these buses as one has to commute standing. To travel standing for such a long distance in unpleasant and can’t be done every day.
The speed of the bus is also not effective, said the sources. People who can afford personal vehicles will not use buses as they can travel quicker. The only solution to this problem is, to bring up bus lanes all over the city.
New age mobility service providers in the city have been working on solutions to address this situation. At present, app-based bike taxis, rental bikes, shared cabs and carpooling are options to cover the whole journey.
