BMTC app with live bus tracking in Bengaluru gets massive response

Transport

The app is available on Android, and has recently been introduced on the iOS platform as well.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

The MyBMTC app, which allows Bengalureans to track the city’s buses in real time, is now available in a crisp new format. The app currently has more than 65,000 downloads on Android. The MyBMTC app has been given a facelift, with a fresh new user interface. It is now also linked to Google Maps to give traffic-based information on when the bus will reach its destination. The app also uses real-time location data from the buses, which are already fitted with GPS devices.   Move over @Olacabs& @Uber the super cool @BMTC_BENGALURU app is here & working like a charm! today it delivered big time. I had to decide auto or bus - looked up the app - it said bus arriving in 2 minutes & boom! it did! Please spread the word about MyBMTC app! Kudos to BMTC! pic.twitter.com/31e7rLtWUm — Srinivas Alavilli (@srinualavilli) February 24, 2020   The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) boasts a fleet of 6,500 buses, though Chief Minister of Karnataka, BS Yediyurappa had promised to increase in the number of buses, at the time of elections.  The city residents have repeatedly called for doubling the fleet. The Vehicle Traffic Management System (VTMS) sends each bus’s location to a centralised BMTC server. However, the data previously did not get adequately translated in the official BMTC app, and most people preferred to use an unofficial BMTC app to keep track of buses. The app also has a trip planning system, to allow people who are not used to the city’s bus routes to go the app and figure out how to go from A to B, based on the current bus routes.    Got down at #TinFactory, looked up on app and looked around - the bus(MF1) was right there; as if it was waiting for me ;) ⁦@BMTC_BENGALURU⁩ pic.twitter.com/v0dyFd6cGl — Yogeesh Prabhuswamy (@yogeeshgp) February 25, 2020   The app also has a way for users to find the closest bus stop based on their phone’s location. This unofficial app was by Nihal Thakkar, but access to the BMTC’s data was later shut down. Sources from the BMTC had told TNM that there were concerns that the data could be misused by other local transport technology companies, such as taxi cab aggregators Ola and Uber.  Fast-forward six months, after extensive newspaper coverage and his father requesting BMTC to allow him access to the app, Nihal Thakkar has been allowed to develop and maintain the official MyBMTC app. TNM had previously reported that the full-fledged app would be available in January, and BMTC has also put out an iOS version of the app, so that even iPhone users can reap the full benefits of the local transit application. A Kannada version of the application is also on the cards. BMTC Officer for Public Relations Ajit Torgal said that the English version of the app is still being improved, but the app will be also introduced in Kannada “in a due course of time.” Read: BMTC launches new app with trip planner, live bus tracking and more Also Read: Bengaluru bus rights group seeks reduction in BMTC fares, opposes elevated corridor

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Fares hiked for state-run bus services across most of Karnataka

Transport

However, the fare revision will not apply to the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).

TNM Staff

Representational image

Ticket prices in all state-run transport corporations except the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) in Karnataka were hiked by 12% on average. This increase in bus fares will be affected, starting from Wednesday.   However, there is no increase of fares on passes issued to students and persons with disabilities. This fare hike also does not apply for the first 12-15 kms for ordinary services, while fares for first 6 km for express services will also remain the same. Incidentally the fares for first 3 km has been reduced to Rs 5 from Rs 7.  This is the first hike in fares for Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) in six years. The transport department said that there has been a steep increase of High Speed Diesel rates in the international market. The High Speed Diesel oil price has increased by Rs.11.27 per litre since the last revision of bus fares.  In a statement, KSRTC said, “The financial burden on the corporation due to fuel price hike will be Rs 260.83 crores per annum. Besides, as per the fare revision formula approved by the Government, the dearness allowance increase to employees are also to be factored in for fare revision, which is Rs 340.38 crores. Overall increase in operational cost is Rs. 601.21 crores per annum. To off-set the increase in financial burden to the Corporation, it has been decided to revise the bus fares.“ Though the corporations have mulled over a fare revision for years, successive state governments have not allowed them to do the same.  Incidentally, in September 2018, all State Road Transport Undertakings (SRTUs) — BMTC, KSRTC, NWKRTC and NEKRTC — had increased fares by 18% but it was withdrawn shortly after, following an order by the then Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.

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Bike-borne man shoots woman outside PG in Bengaluru

Crime

Police said the woman Subhashree Priyadarshini is now out of danger.

TNM Staff

Accused

In a shocking incident on Tuesday evening in Bengaluru, a 25-year-old woman working with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), was shot with a country-made pistol by a bike-borne man near her paying guest accommodation at Munnekolala near Marathahalli. The victim was identified as Subhashree Priyadarshini, a native of Odisha, who has been residing in Bengaluru for the last two years. The shooting occurred just as she was returning from work to her PG around 6 pm. The Marathahalli Police have registered a case of attempt to murder and also under the Arms Act. The man shot once on her stomach with a 7.65mm pistol before vanishing from the spot. Soon after this, a bleeding Subhashree was taken to hospital by another resident of the PG and the police were also informed. According to jurisdictional Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Whitefield MN Anucheth, Subhashree is out of danger. At 2.30 am on Wednesday morning, the accused was found grievously injured and in an unconscious state near Marathahalli Bridge on Outer Ring Road, the police said. He has been admitted to Sakra hospital and is in a critical condition.  The accused has been identified as Amarendra Pattanaik, aged 33 years and also hailing from Odisha.  Doctors attending to him say that he has accident related injuries as well as self-inflicted injuries to his neck.  At the crime scene, a notebook was found which has 17 pages of handwritten notes by the accused. The last page of the notebook reads like a death note and indicates his last wish, police added.  Police said that prima facie it looks like he may have attempted to kill himself after shooting Priyadarshini.

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Prevented Karnataka from discussing Mekedatu issue in CWMA meeting: TN

Mekedatu row

TN PWD Secretary K Manivasan said the state government prevented Karnataka from discussing the dam issue by pointing out the pending petitions in the SC against the project.

PTI

Wiki commons - Karthik Prabhu

The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday claimed that it prevented Karnataka from discussing the contentious Mekedatu reservoir issue at the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) meeting held in New Delhi. Besides the representatives of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka at the fifth meeting of CWMA, presided over by Central Water Commission Chairman R K Jain, officials of Kerala and Puducherry also participated. CWMA member and TN PWD Secretary K Manivasan told reporters after the meeting that the state government prevented Karnataka from discussing the dam issue by pointing out the pending petitions in the Supreme Court against the project filed by the E Palaniswami government. "We have told participants of the meeting that Mekedatu reservoir will be against the interests of Tamil Nadu and its farmers. Our consistent stand is that it should not be built at any cost. Finally the issue was not discussed in the meeting," Manivasan said. The Mekedatu reservoir is proposed to be constructed by Karnataka across Cauvery river near Mekedatu, about 110 km from Bengaluru, in Kanakapura taluk.  It was first proposed along with Shivanasamudra hydro power project at Shimsa in 2003 with an intention to use the water for a hydro power station and supply drinking water to Bengaluru city. It was designed to store 67 tmc feet of water. While Tamil Nadu is claiming that the construction of a balancing reservoir will disturb Cauvery water flow to the state affecting irrigation, Karnataka says the project is basically designed to take care of the drinking water needs of Bengaluru after releasing water to Tamil Nadu as per the quantum specified by the Cauvery water disputes tribunal.

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K’taka BJP MLA calls centenarian freedom fighter ‘fake, Pak agent’, triggers row

Politics

Ex-CM Siddaramaiah asked CM Yediyurappa to take action against Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for his statement.

PTI

File image

Triggering a controversy, senior BJP MLA from Vijayapura Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Tuesday called centenarian HS Doreswamy a "fake freedom fighter who behaves like a Pakistan agent". "There are many fake freedom fighters. There is one in Bengaluru. Now we have to say what Doreswamy is. Where is that old man? He behaves like a Pakistan agent," Patil told reporters without elaborating in response to a question in the district headquarters town of Vijayapura. Yatnal was reacting to Congress leaders' statements in Vijayapura during a public meeting titled 'Save the Constitution' on Monday. Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah had told the gathering that it was the Congress which helped the country attain freedom and was instrumental in preparing the Constitution, whereas RSS' contribution in the freedom struggle was "nil". Reacting to Siddaramaiah's statement, Yatnal demanded to know if Congress leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi or Siddaramaiah ever fought for Independence or went to jail. In this context, Yatnal called 102-year-old Doreswamy, who has criticised the BJP on various issues in the past, “a fake freedom fighter who behaves like a Pakistan agent”. The Congress took a strong view of Yatnal's statement, saying it was unsolicited and unpardonable for the MLA to call "the conscious and socially alert" Doreswamy this. "The BJP should ask Yatnal to immediately step down for his communally venomous verbose and seek an apology," it said in a tweet. When contacted, BJP spokesperson and MLC N Ravikumar said it was not proper for Yatnal to speak like that. "We have lots of respect for Doreswamy, but we too feel that he (Doreswamy) is biased." Denouncing Yatnal's statement, leader of the opposition in the Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah demanded that Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa initiate action against the MLA or else accept his views as that of the government. In another tweet, Siddaramaiah asked Yediyurappa to keep in mind the "uncontrollable" situation in Delhi. "A major trouble is awaiting if you don't control hate speeches," Siddaramaiah tweeted. Read: DK Shivakumar files Rs 204 crore defamation case against BJP MLA BR Patil Yatnal  

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Anti-abortion bills fail to advance in Senate vote

The measures were seen as messaging votes meant to challenge vulnerable Democrats and boost Republicans.

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IOC member says call on cancelling Olympics over coronavirus coming by May

Dick Pound's estimate of a three-month window would place the timeline for a decision around May.

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