How bus transport in India can be made more attractive

There are really no two ways about the fact that Volvo made bus travel a fashion statement in India and truly redefined public transport. People suddenly discovered that road transport wasn’t such a bad idea after all be it from Mumbai to Pune or Bengaluru to Chennai.

According to VRV Sriprasad, Managing Director, Volvo Buses – South Asia, perhaps this is only the tip of the iceberg. Given the huge population which desperately needs proper transport facilities, the potential for buses is phenomenally high.

Till a decade ago, State transport undertakings (STUs) accounted for nearly 75 per cent of bus buying with the private sector’s share being minuscule in contrast. Since then, there has been a huge shift to private acquisition thanks to the growth of captive segments like schools.

“If you look back, very few schools had buses some years ago and even if they did, these were old and used STU vehicles. This was true for colleges too and today the mushrooming of education in India has fuelled bus growth,” says Sriprasad.

While State buying has been stagnant and actually going down substantially, the private segment has proliferated with garment factories and IT companies requiring buses to ferry their employees. Conventional old public transport buses are, however, coming down “which is a serious cause for concern”.

According to Sriprasad, the solution should come from other stakeholders who need to be aligned to the issue. The present situation is like a garbled picture where rolling stock in public transportation is owned by STUs while roads, bus stations and shelters come under the purview of the city/municipality. Traffic regulatory means the police, while vehicle regulatory is the RTO or transport department. To top it all, the operator could be private!

Globally, the city mayor or government is responsible for public transportation. In India, the vehicles are owned by the State, while the city does not have a sanction or budget to buy them. In this background, it becomes imperative to make bus travel an attractive option especially when rapid urbanisation is causing huge traffic jams in cities. There is then no point having one driver in a large car taking up road space when numbers can be better optimised in a bus.

“Three decades ago, many of us used pubic transport since private mobility was costly,” says Sriprasad. “Today, with the population growing and bus quality going down, people prefer a two-wheeler or car. World over, the affluent use public transport and we also should make a complete modern overhaul of bus transport beyond just the rolling stock.”

This explains why there is a greater sense of pride in taking a metro where the entire ecosystem is clean right from the stations to vehicles. Yet, it involves huge investments coupled with a high gestation period. In addition, space is also needed both below and above the ground.

“In buses, you have the roads and vehicles in place and all that needs to be done is to give the same importance as given to the metro ecosystem. Create the aspiration where the bus station is clean along with an IT interface for directions and timings,” suggests Sriprasad.

All that is needed is modern buses to draw people and this is where city planners, urban development and governments can plan and learn from other global models. The Volvo Buses chief is also of the view that one cannot create a smart city without smart transportation. For now, there are good examples like the BRT (bus rapid transit) in Ahmedabad or Bengaluru for fleet modernisation. Yet, these are only drops in a vast ocean where there is so much more that can be done.

It is also interesting to note that Volvo sells three times more buses in Mexico whose population is a fifth of India. “Some of the guys there who run operations have their own bus stations and travel there is branded. There is recognition of bus transport’s role in connectivity,” says Sriprasad.

Now compare this to India where someone buys an expensive Volvo ticket but is subject to the torture of extreme filth at the bus stop he comes to board. “This is where a good ecosystem plays a role. Give this sector industry status and see the difference with big brands,” he adds. Sriprasad believes that it is important for companies to take a missionary role and start creating awareness so that, over a period of time, there will be better understanding and appreciation. “You need to be committed and believe that what you are doing is for the long-term good that goes beyond selling large numbers,” he says.

This conviction needs to be backed by the technology and awareness to do this. It is his view that in a matter of time, people and the market will realise it and “at some point in time, we will become standards and will be happy to know that we have initiated it”. By the end of the day, it is important to be nimble and yet prepare for the future, something that Volvo is only too aware of.

“India is not an easy country and it takes time to evolve which means we need to play the game differently. India loves technology but will not pay as much which means we at Volvo should make it affordable and that in my view is the winning formula to increase aspiration,” concludes Sriprasad.