While travelling, it is the norm that commuters tend to use their phones, but when the battery drains it creates a panic situation. This can be avoided as the commuter will have access to infotainment services in the BMTC AC buses. The passengers aboard can make use of two high definition televisions installed in the buses to view entertainment and informative programmes, train and flight timings, bus stop announcements, weather forecast and more. The BMTC will start by installing them in 15 buses first and it is expected to be extended to over 250 buses.
Long distance travel is always a pain especially in a city like Bengaluru where traffic is a misery. These services will come as a relief for such passengers. Homemaker Shalini Lokesh says, “This service will be useful for people who travel long distances to get to work or home etc. These services will be a great way to spend time. Information about flight and bus timings will help professional who fly often as this will help them book tickets then and there for their next journey and also plan their schedule accordingly. Each person has a different preference, so BMTC should ensure that they alternate between sports, news, lifestyle shows etc so that it will cater to the needs of every individual that uses these buses.”
There is saying that an idle mind is a devil’s workshop. Why not keep the mind occupied with learning new things instead? A regular BMTC commuter and IT Engineer Himanshu Raj says, “Such a service has never been seen before and it be certainly helpful for the commuters. From what I have seen, many of the people travelling sit with their phones listening to music or playing games. With these infotainment services they can do something productive by learning new things shown. I also think this will be a good distraction and a better alternative rather than using their phones and draining their battery. Not every commuter will be partial to one programme only. So to solve this problem. The best choice will be to play music videos or educational programmes. Shows that come on channels like TLC or National Geographic whichmost people will prefer are best suited.”
For new-comers to the city, these services will be relief. Adhishesh Varma, a regular BMTC user and student says, “Such a service is really nice in BMTC buses. Earlier the information I received was not user-friendly. The infotainment will be secondary, but I feel that the information these services provide should be a priority. People from outside the side using the public transport system can make use of this service to get information on the various routes, fares, bus timings, places to see or eat and other things that will be helpful to them. By doing this there will transparency in whatever is happening in the city.”
Sociologist Sowrabha C says, “It is really good that such services are being installed in the buses but people are more individualistic these days. Especially the crowd that uses these buses, they are more choosy and specific. In that I will feel that only 20 percent of the crowd will be using it. The success of this move will depend on the number of people using it. The entertainment programmes can be good distraction for commuters. I feel that information on basic health and first aid care needs to shown so that it aid when the situation arises. This should be made as a priority. These things will help out friends or relatives or a co-passenger.”
