The Bus needs a Brand Manager

It is 7.05 am on a Tuesday, I am standing at the Bannerghata-Jigani road and my office at Infantry Road stands 30kms away. The options at hand were,?

1. Ride my e2w with a real-world range of 70km with no destination charging option at the office (come on, WeWork you need to do better) - Risky, No
2. Drive the car through the messy traffic with no reserved parking at the destination - Hell no!
3. Open the apps and start filling the ‘where to’ boxes - Feeling lucky.?

As a Namma Metro power user, I missed my usual mode of transportation to work, and as I stood there trying to rationalize the 20 min pickup time and INR 600+ fare, a vehicle that used to be my go-to growing up in Chennai whooshed past me and stopped 5 meters away. The good old Bus.?

While it did not take me exactly to my destination, this bus took me to within a 5km range. Without second thoughts I quickly boarded it and took my favorite seat next to the door (ventilation guaranteed).?

So what was a 20-minute pickup time and INR 650+ fare on a taxi suddenly became a 1-minute pick-up time and an INR 25 ticket. I quickly downloaded the Namma BMTC app to try out the route planner feature. The app asked me to do the following,?

• Get down at Town Hall
• Wait for 2 mins
• Board a TR 4 to Shivaji Nagara Bus Terminus

Happy that this would take me within 100m of the office and since I had the time to experiment, I simply followed the recommendations, and viola, the TR 4 did arrive within 2 minutes to take me to my destination for another INR 15.?

Total Cost - INR 40

Total Commute Time - 1.15 hours

The Bus since that day has become my best friend and reiterated my belief that the urban mobility puzzle is best solved when multiple modes come together, a mission that we at ONDC are truly committed to solving.

I have now tried multiple modes such as?

• Bus - Namma Yatri?
• Bus - Metro?
• Bus - Bike Taxi?

The result is that there is a way to drastically reduce the cost of commute without compromising a lot on the commute time. But that’s not all, every trip has been unique and added a new social dimension to my life as I get to meet a diverse set of people and learn a few things,?

• My Kannada speaking skill has drastically improved
• The weight of a fully loaded school bag has not reduced since I graduated
• How one can expect to be waking up to a total stranger sleeping next to them on a train to Odisha
• The best way to make the perfect Mangalore Bun
• And on days, I manage to get a Volvo AC bus and pay INR 45 for a 40km ride, the commute has been comfortable enough for me to wrap up presentations and prepare detailed to-do lists

While it is true that the bus commute is not all happily ever after yet, I still believe that it often doesn’t get the deserved attention and limelight that its peers such as the Metro get especially in the minds of the folks who use private vehicles for their everyday commute. The Bus is sometimes the Dravid of transportation modes, while the Sachins and Sehwags can get you there faster and in style for a bit more money, the bus plays the longer innings covering all parts of the City and trudging along to help the majority move ahead in life.?

With buses now being digitized across the country and more AC and electric buses coming in to help provide better rider experiences, the mode now needs a brand overhaul to get back its rightful place as a key element driving social transformation and a core cog in the wheel of every city across the Country.?

Next time you are at the ‘Luru airport or not winning the auto/cab booking race, try boarding a bus. You might love it or hate it but it will take you places and keep moving those who seek progress.

Disclaimer - The views experienced in this article are personal and do not reflect the views of my employer.