Bus Karo!

 

Bus Karo

The present attitude in society and governance echelons regarding private modes of mass transport – like buses - is harmful, quite like the negative overtones attached to the title. I am trying to argue that there could be another perspective. 

When it comes to using buses as a citizen, the general feeling is that it is not for the non-cattle class. Only those who can’t afford any other means of transport are to use buses- especially in cities. When it comes to taxation, the size of the bus reigns supreme in creating an impression, and so also does the bus owner, who is invariably a wealthy person (especially so, given the unease of doing business). So buses are taxed –monetarily and physically (by controlling their access much more than light motor vehicles). If one views it dispassionately, an occupied bus is closest to the greenest manner in which mobility can be achieved for people- especially the lowest segment of society. A government and society which values equality (of the right to mobility) and the environment should be exerting to incentivize this collectively in finding a mobility solution. 

Instead, we tax. We tax it and ensure that the viable mode of transport for the common man is not as affordable as it can be. The taxes are in the form of road tax for the vehicles and all of the other taxes we enjoy ourselves imposing on the “big” bus owner. That the bus owner passes on the tax to the hapless customer citizen is conveniently forgotten. A high import duty ensures that comfortable buses are not easily available in the country. This helps in keeping the label of cattle class on buses as they are actually not more than converted lorries!

The tax is not just financial. It is physical. Whenever there is a traffic restriction, the private luxury car moves ahead in royal splendor. The proletarian bus passenger is asked to take a diversion or to stop at a distance from the scene of action. This gives good exercise to those who need it lesser than the ones moving in private car’s luxury. The luxury of the car is not just inside it. It exists outside, in the priority given for access. For temples, churches, and other congregation locations, invariably, buses are stopped at a long distance, and cars are allowed to go close. Making privileged access public is not usually explored.

In this context, the diversion of public bulk transport in the interest of private light motor vehicles must be re-examined. It would be divine to remove the tax and physical hurdles from ecologically and economically friendly bus transport. They could be given privileged access. Mother Earth would be happier to see this egalitarian solution.       

There is a need to explore technological solutions to make these eco-friendly modes of transport seamless. There is a need to use a global positioning system on the buses and make the data available through real-time systems to trusted applications so that solutions integrating buses with last-mile connectivity can be easier to operate. This last mile connectivity can be achieved through multiple modes ranging from skateboards to bicycles to taxis. 

Taxation can also be used with imagination to incentivize the suitable mode of transport.  

Along with incentivizing bus travel, efforts should be afoot to make it more convenient.  This would be required for a greater proportion of the middle class to migrate to it from cars.  

This could be done by making GPS facilities available in buses and having their routes pre-fed into an online database.  If the seat reservation system could be made online, the next generation would be happy to do on-the-spot reservations of bus seats depending upon which is the closest convenient transport.

We could also think of giving out these as services to portals who can build services on to them.  Once this data is made public, very imaginative services can be built by private initiative, and this would help the usage of buses to be much better.  This could prevent overcrowding of buses and make them a more convenient mode of transport.  At the same time, it would also ensure that buses are not having to ply without an adequate number of passengers.

Let us face it, the American model of every family owning a car is not sustainable for a nation like India.  This sort of conspicuous consumption should not be fuelled.  We need to develop our own sustainable development model, and we need to develop a culture where conspicuous consumption is looked down upon.   We have this in our genes.   Somehow, we seem to be buying into the Western growth story.  I am not arguing that the poor should remain poor for the sake of the rich.  My point is that we should be conscious about facilitating the lives of all by providing mobility and other necessities.  But we are a nation where our incentivization of consumerism will have immediate and drastic effects.  We should not be shy of taxing such behavior and deriding such behaviour as this is the only way such a  huge collectivity can remain on track and together.  

The road tax on cars is a point to be considered in this regard.  Today we have the same road tax irrespective of the location where the vehicle is plying.  What if the vehicle doubles up as an ambulance providing critical mobility in a rural area or ferries well-fed dogs in a posh colony?  The tax is the same.  Today we have the wherewithal to have a differential tax regime based on the location in which a vehicle is plying.  The odd-even scheme of the Delhi Government is a welcome step in this perspective.  But this must be backed up by making mass transport cheaper and more convenient.