Traveling in BMTC buses... I have been meaning to write about it for soo long.
I am extremely proud to announce that it has been almost a year since I have been using public transport to commute everywhere in the city. It started initially when my car broke down occasionally and then one day the poor vehicle decided to call it quits. My car is now willing to be on the road but I seem to be extremely delighted with the simplicity of our dear buses.
Public transport in Bangalore is extremely efficient . The metro construction work is the only thing that creates traffic jams in the city on a regular basis. Considerable number of people travel by buses , thanks to the convenience and comfort that the AC volvo buses provide to all the city dwellers.
I used to hate the way bus-drivers drove on the streets while driving a car. But now I totally sympathize with them. Imagine driving a vehicle with the onus of many lives just for a job and a mere salary. Every time they damage the bus that costs around 70 lakhs, it is cut out of their salary. Every time they meet with an accident , they lose their jobs. Somehow I am unable to express the empathy in words. I would go mad if I had to drive a bus in heavy traffic the entire day ..
The other day, I was on a bus in a heavy traffic jam at an odd hour. there was an accident, It was the pedestrians' fault who tried to cross the road without the zebra-crossing signal. It was a spot death. Can you imagine yourself in the bus driver's shoes? They wear simple footwear , they cannot afford shoes many times. To have killed a person unintentionally, to lose a job and trauma for the rest of his life.
I learn a lot about their profession while commuting. Like they need to go through a five day special training workshop if they have to drive volvos. They get medical insurance, life insurance, pensions, travel expenses and a good 15 to 20 k salary. The air port service drivers get paid more while the normal blue bus drivers get paid less. Many are villagers who have moved to the city in search of a better life. I hear them speak in accents and dialects of kannada from Dharwad, mangalore, belgaum, uttara kanada and more. They play Radio and most of them play kannada songs . They wear white uniforms and they get a pair of white clothes ! There are people/managers who drive the drivers crazy!
Hmmmmmm.. There is more to say .. probably not in words... It sounds more like mundane information than a personal experience . I love traveling in buses because somewhere these drivers take upon themselves the collective tension of all the passengers. You can sit back, nap, read a book, listen to music, talk to a friend, phone, work or simply look out of the window and admire the city.
I am extremely proud to announce that it has been almost a year since I have been using public transport to commute everywhere in the city. It started initially when my car broke down occasionally and then one day the poor vehicle decided to call it quits. My car is now willing to be on the road but I seem to be extremely delighted with the simplicity of our dear buses.
Public transport in Bangalore is extremely efficient . The metro construction work is the only thing that creates traffic jams in the city on a regular basis. Considerable number of people travel by buses , thanks to the convenience and comfort that the AC volvo buses provide to all the city dwellers.
I used to hate the way bus-drivers drove on the streets while driving a car. But now I totally sympathize with them. Imagine driving a vehicle with the onus of many lives just for a job and a mere salary. Every time they damage the bus that costs around 70 lakhs, it is cut out of their salary. Every time they meet with an accident , they lose their jobs. Somehow I am unable to express the empathy in words. I would go mad if I had to drive a bus in heavy traffic the entire day ..
The other day, I was on a bus in a heavy traffic jam at an odd hour. there was an accident, It was the pedestrians' fault who tried to cross the road without the zebra-crossing signal. It was a spot death. Can you imagine yourself in the bus driver's shoes? They wear simple footwear , they cannot afford shoes many times. To have killed a person unintentionally, to lose a job and trauma for the rest of his life.
I learn a lot about their profession while commuting. Like they need to go through a five day special training workshop if they have to drive volvos. They get medical insurance, life insurance, pensions, travel expenses and a good 15 to 20 k salary. The air port service drivers get paid more while the normal blue bus drivers get paid less. Many are villagers who have moved to the city in search of a better life. I hear them speak in accents and dialects of kannada from Dharwad, mangalore, belgaum, uttara kanada and more. They play Radio and most of them play kannada songs . They wear white uniforms and they get a pair of white clothes ! There are people/managers who drive the drivers crazy!
Hmmmmmm.. There is more to say .. probably not in words... It sounds more like mundane information than a personal experience . I love traveling in buses because somewhere these drivers take upon themselves the collective tension of all the passengers. You can sit back, nap, read a book, listen to music, talk to a friend, phone, work or simply look out of the window and admire the city.
Sushmitha Margad: Wow! Thanks Veena that was insightful. It was like looking at the entire thing from a completely different perspective. I think going ahead i am going to be more open about my experiences with bus drivers....and more empathetic..
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