Mysore/Mysuru: Though the Ambaari bus service operated by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) is hugely popular thanks to the splendour of illumination of the city roads, the basic design fault of the bus and lack of safety features have come to the fore now.
The bus ride along the illuminated roads is the most sought after attraction now and usually the top open deck is preferred by tourists. This section is overcrowded with all the passengers standing on top to see the best view of the illumination.
The front top part of the Ambaari is raised, God knows why, obstructing the view of the road in front. This elevated portion, like a wall, is obstructing the view of the people sitting on the top deck.
Views obstructed
As the view of the illuminated roads and circles is obstructed by the ‘wall’, they have to invariably stand to get a better view. This forces the other people sitting in the rear rows of the bus to stand to get better view and also to take photographs.
The result: All the people dangerously stand on the bus holding the side railings and some even climb on the seats. Many times, this is leading to arguments between passengers as everyone wants the best view.
As it is an open-roof bus, the passengers are exposed to threats from dangling live wires, tree branches and the likes. Even the side railing bars are not high enough to prevent accidents. Children and senior citizens are the most vulnerable here.
Problem will be solved if the obstruction wall, circled in red in the picture, is just removed. Happy riding to all.
KSTDC can try ask the coach builder to make the roof section bus body fully glass so that the view isn’t obstructed.
There is another problem. If a double decker bus is in front of a car, during a signal, the car behind has no view of it. During this busiest times of Dasara evenings, where everyone is out to see the lights, the traffic police easily puts the blame on the car drivers for the chaos in traffic when the cars don’t stop at the red light (mostly because they cannot see it, and the bus ahead of the car is Moving!). Traffic police are indeed exhausted, but shouting their throat out at the people/families aren’t wise.
What can we expect from designers, policy makers, who never travel to have first hand experience of prime buses exclusive for tourists. A couple of years back I booked for Mys tourist darshan, a 10 hr trip. It was a new bus, seat 1, 2, 3 alloted was just having 1 feet of sitting space. How can an adult sit, with help of driver and conductor exchanged my seat with kids. This is our designers.
The reason for the elevated front end on the top deck is to provide a windbreak for the first few rows. It should be made of clear safety glass. That is the original design for any open deck touring bus.
For stability of the bus in motion, no one should stand up on the upper deck or it makes the vehicle top-heavy, increasing the risk of tipping over.
The open top city sights double decker buses have been operating in London for 7 decades.
As for the design, it is like the IT techies in India working on program cord and developing software piad much much less than Western counterparts, with no attention to quality-the Western companies discovered to their horror and hence the quality control and testing control are done in the West.
In India, no one cares for quality and usability in designs like this bus-Officials would have made money out of these conttacts. The object of the exercise, whether it is constructing a bus like this or selling tickets is to take a slice out of them into the pockets of officials and the district minister.
Quality and India do not mix!
he open top city sights double decker buses have been operating in London for 7 decades.
As for the design, it is like the IT techies in India working on program cord and developing software piad much much less than Western counterparts, with no attention to quality-the Western companies discovered to their horror and hence the quality control and testing control are done in the West.
In India, no one cares for quality and usability in designs like this bus-Officials would have made money out of these conttacts. The object of the exercise, whether it is constructing a bus like this or selling tickets is to take a slice out of them into the pockets of officials and the district minister.
Quality and India do not mix!
correction: The open top..