Indore: City ibus commuters will have more comfortable ride in coming days as Atal Indore City Transport Service Limited (AiCTSL) is all set to strengthen its bus fleet. The iBus commuters are now facing overcrowding, suffocation and other discomfort in rush hours every day. A tender for new buses was already floated before the model code of conduct came into effect. However, the tender cannot be finalised till the model code is in force, said Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AiCTSL Sandeep Soni.
About 60,000 commuters travel in ibus everyday as it is easier and faster. The commuters appreciate its pros like i-smart cards and separate section for women and men. “I like travelling in ibus, because it makes me feel like a responsible individual with a lower bio-footprint,” entrepreneur Deepak Dadhich said. His commute from home to office in non-peak hours is quite comfortable. “However, when I return home from work in the evening, the bus is overcrowded and suffocating,” Dadhich said. He noted that even waiting for buses does not spare the misery of crowd.
A female commuter Yashi Sachdev said, “ibus is comparatively safer than other public buses. There should be more ibuses so that we are not forced to step in overcrowded buses.” She further said that some safety additions like panic button and speed limits would be appreciated. Talking about the need for more safety measures in public transport, an educator Sangeeta Uppal said, “ibus is comparatively safer, but the management should consider having panic button, female attendant and speed limits for city bus and midi bus.” “We have set a good example by making BRTS successful, but we should not stop here and make other public buses equally safe and comfortable as well,” an activist Mohit Yadav said.
Wait for the next bus …
Though we have taken out a tender for more ibuses, it cannot be finalised until the model code of conduct is in foce. We are hoping to finalise the order after the mode code is lifted and add more ibuses in May. A simple suggestion that might help commuters is to wait for the next bus in line. Often the first bus arriving at a station is crowded and all the passengers tend to still enter the same bus. We normally send out another bus in 2 to 5 minute interval. Passengers can wait for another couple of minutes and enjoy a comfortable ride. We have 26 ibuses and 22 are plying in the BRTS corridor.
n Sandeep Soni, CEO AiCTSL