BENGALURU: Bengaluru's bus service has been in the news for failing to maintain its fleet. And City Express found, through visits to bus stands and busy routes, that tyres of many buses are worn out.
Passengers and the transport corporation's staff are worried because bad tyres could be just a stop away from an accident.
Poorly maintained tyres are a problem across models. There is an AC Vajra service (KA 01 FA 1366) at Kempegowda Bus Station, a Vajra Volvo (KA 01 F 3914) that plies to Attibele and many Suvarna buses including one stationed at Majestic Bus Station (KA 01 F 4390.
Buses that run long distances and with many passengers, like a G4 that go to Electronic City from Brigade Road, also run on tyres that have worn out their retreading.
These were some of the sightings we had and drivers with Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation say that there are many such buses.
A driver from Shivajinagar says, "Many buses run on worn-out tyres and we sometimes find large cuts on them, and we report them to the depot staff but little is done."
He says that there are other unresolved issues as well: "Often buses break down during a trip because there is no regular maintenance. Many buses have damaged gear leavers and missing rear-view mirrors."
A driver from Majestic bus stand says that bad tyres slow the buses down. "We have little control over the bus if the tyres are bad, so how can we go at the best speed? We don't have money to fix the tyres."
A driver from Shantinagar depot agrees. "If we run the bus on damaged tyres, it will affect the performance of the bus," he says. "Brakes will become less effective because bad tyres have a poor grip... the grooves would've been flattened out. Rainy days are harder with the roads being slippery, and accidents can also happen when the bad tyres burst while the bus is in motion."
Chandar S N, a who works with a tyre showroom on JC Road, says that proper maintenance also increases the life of the wheels and the performance of the vehicle. “Damaged tyres are dangerous to the passengers and the staff on the bus because it will affect the braking system. In addition, sharp objects on the road can easily puncture weak tyres.”
According to him, we need to change or rethread the front tyres after every 20,000 km and back wheels after 40,000 km. “We may need to change this scale in accordance with the performance and road conditions,” he adds.
According to the drivers, on an average, a BMTC bus runs 240 km per day. Therefore the threading must be done at least every three months. Manager at the rethreading division of the BMTC, in Shantinagar, refused to comment on the frequency of such repair.
Shiva S, a tyre mechanic from Madiwala, says “Worn-out tyres can reduce steering balance and the driver will lose control the vehicle (in the case of emergencies). Irregular maintenance will also reduce the life of the tyre.”
Experts say that with regular maintenance, the corporation can bring down the fare. “In developed countries, 40% of the people depend on the public transport system,” says Dr Ravikant Joshi, Urban Finance and Management specialist.
“In our country, it is 10-15%. If a private share cabs can offer you a ride for less than the price of a ticket on an AC bus, why can’t the city buses offer competing prices since they ferry more passengers? BMTC can increase the efficiency of the buses with proper maintenance and bring down the cost of operation.”