A Trail-Blazing Urban Transport ?

In Mumbai , attempts are on , to turn  BEST  into something even  BETTER  !

PROOF :

On  12^th Sept , Shri S R Jadhav ( Traffic Manager – Planning & Control ) sent to me following email :

From: transport@bestundertaking.com [mailto:transport@bestundertaking.com] 

Sent: 12 September 2017 14:58

To: Hemen Parekh

Subject: re: fw: A COMPREHENSIVE BEST SOLUTION

Sir,

This refers to your letter dated 21.08.2017 addressed to the General Manager, BEST Undertaking.

At the outset, we thank you for providing suggestions in connection with BEST bus operation.

The BEST Undertaking is in the process of developing App for BEST buses. Besides, we are also planning to install GPS on buses to get Real Time Information for updated Passengers Information System.

In connection with this, we have also noted your suggestion for Bus Route Indicator at bus stops.

We would also like to inform you that MMRDA is carrying out study for 'Dedicated Bus Lane' on major corridor of Mumbai.

Yours faithfully,

( S.R. Jadhav)

Traffic Manager

(Planning & Control)

This was in response to my following email :

=================================

From: "Hemen Parekh" <hcp@recruitguru.com>

Sent: Monday, August 21, 2017 10:01 AM

To: gm@bestundertaking.com, addlgm@bestundertaking.com, dgmto@bestundertaking.com, sapawar@bestundertaking.org, chiefminister@maharashtra.gov.in, min.finance@maharashtra.gov.in, min.transport@maharashtra.gov.in 

Cc: "Hemen Parekh" <hcp@recruitguru.com>

Subject: A COMPREHENSIVE BEST SOLUTION

BEST  getting  BETTER  ?

=================================

DNA ( 20 Aug ) carries a news report with following headline :

“ Now BEST to get smart with GPS , PIS on buses “

To ease the commute of travellers, the BEST Undertaking has claimed that they will ensure that the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Passenger Information System (PIS) is installed in its buses within six months.

" We are sure that the GPS inside buses and Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) at bus stops will be available to the public within six months," said SK Bagde, General Manager, BEST Undertaking.

==================================================================

While welcoming this passenger-friendly initiative , I urge Shri Bagde , to go for a COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION  by implementing my following suggestion ( emailed earlier on 15  Feb  2016 ) :

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/02/public-transport-as-solution.html

*   Gradually change over to air conditioned buses

*   Do not allow standee passengers ( this will require adding many more buses )

*   Introduction of BRTS ( Bus Rapid Transit System )

*   Bus Arrival Time Indicators  ( linked with GPS in all buses ) at all bus stops

*   A tablet type digital device fitted behind each seat , where passenger to touch his

     destination on route map displayed .

     Passenger will also touch his smart phone to the device which will transfer the fare

     amount to the bus operator , through a mobile wallet .

     No need for a conductor - as practiced in many foreign countries ! 

    This will tell the driver , at which stops , which passengers are getting off and how

    many seat / s are falling vacant

   

    If bus is already FULL and no passenger is getting off at the next bus stop, then driver

    will not halt the bus , since he cannot accommodate any standee passenger

    If a passenger is supposed to get off at , say XYZ stop , digital device will flash a

    signal / ring a bell , a few minutes before reaching the stop

   

    The Bus Arrival Time Indicator , at the Bus-stop will also display the " No of Vacant

    Seats " in this bus

   

    This ( No of Vacant Seats ) sign will also appear prominently on the bus itself as it

    pulls into the halt

    It is equally easy to introduce such an integrated traffic management system in Inter-

    City buses as well

    Entire intra-city bus traffic will be monitored and controlled from the Central Traffic

   Control Station of the city traffic department , much in the same way ATC control air

    traffic or railways control train traffic

   

    It is just a question of extending an existing ( but slightly modified ) technology to

    city traffic

    As far as density of traffic on various roads is concerned , mobile apps are already

    available

    Based on the situation , Central Traffic Control will order additional buses to be

    injected on any particular route , at any given time

    In some foreign countries , even elevator systems in large office buildings are

    designed to gauge :

    *  the number of persons waiting for elevator at each floor ( and how many want to

        go UP and how many want to go DOWN )

      

     *  the number of persons riding at any time , within each elevator ( and their travel

         intentions ) and adjust their stopping / halting pattern accordingly, automatically

         without human intervention !

     

Implementing such a system could not be a big problem for a country which takes pride in calling itself ,

A  SOFTWARE  SUPER  POWER 

Only thing lacking is political will 

If all of my suggestions get implemented , Mumbai’s BEST can become a BENCHMARK for Municipal Corporations of Delhi – Kolkata – Chennai and other Metro Cities

23  Sept 2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

A Different Kind of UFO ?

The UFO which all of us understand , stands for “ Unidentified  Flying  Object “

What I have in mind is “ Universal Farm  Output “

Something like currently talked about “ Universal Basic Income “ for the very poor

A great majority of our farmers , too , are very poor – and very indebted

Whenever the rains fail and their crops wither , they are forced to commit suicide ( - since for them , honour comes before life ) . Some 17,000 + every year

Other day , on TV , I heard a farm expert  wonder :

“ Even when the rains are reasonable , farm income of an ordinary farmer  barely comes to Rs 6,000 per acre ,

But ,

Our “ Farmer MPs “ ( who have declared their profession as “ Farming “ ) , show in their income tax return , “ agricultural income “ at Rs 6 lakh per acre , even when their land is located in a famine-stricken area  “

How come  ?  Using what “ technology “ do they pull off such a miracle ?

Of course , we will never know !

But that prompts following suggestion

Government has fixed MSP ( Minimum Support Price ) per quintal for most farm produce

It will buy , at this price , whatever quantity of grains , a farmer produces

But , during a famine , poor farmer cannot produce anything , not being in possession of that superior “ technology “ !

During such occasions , I suggest that the government pays him as follows :

·         MSP ( for the quantity of grains produced ) , or

·         Rs 6 lakhs per acre of land,

-      Whichever is higher  

Of course , we will need to lay down very strict criteria for deciding which farmer will get this UFO , where and when and how often !

23  Sept  2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

Not what I Suggested !

DNA ( 22 Sept ) carries following news report :

“ BMC  won’t pay its lawyers for adjournments “

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation ( BMC ) will soon do away with the existing practice of paying lawyers even for adjournments.

Now, the civic body plans to pay lawyers only twice — at the time of admission of a case, and when the case is closed — win or lose.

The civic body believes that this will prevent lawyers from unnecessarily prolonging a case, and charging for each appearance in court.

 At present, BMC has been fighting around 60,000 cases in various courts, from land-related cases to issue of employee promotion.

As per the new plan, for cases fought at the small causes court, a lawyer will be paid Rs 25,000 at the time of admission of the case.

If BMC wins it, s/he will be paid Rs 50,000 and Rs 15,000 if it loses.

"There will be no payment for dates or adjournments," said the official. Similarly, in other cases too, lawyers will be paid only twice.

"A proposal has already been prepared under the guidance of the civic chief, and soon it will be rolled out to make lawyers more accountable towards cases," said a senior official from BMC's legal department. He added that the civic body will discontinue the service of such counsels whose performance is found to be not at par.

According to an official, around 225 new lawyers will be brought under BMC's panel, and the process will begin soon. Of the total 225 lawyers, 100 lawyers will be fresh pass out LLB students. "We want to give an opportunity to fresh LLBs to start their career with BMC," said the official. He added fresh lawyers will be assigned cases small causes court.

However, the civic body will also bring lawyers with experience of five to 10-15 years for important cases.

The Bombay High Court had recently slammed the BMC for assigning inefficient lawyers on important cases. The civic chief Ajoy Mehta had informed the court that the BMC is in the process of bringing more lawyers under the civic body's panel.

I would say , a good beginning which can , over time , migrate to my following suggestion ( sent as email to BMC Commissioner ) :

Saturday, 19 August 2017

An App called “ AdJourn “

DNA ( 30 July ) carried a report with following headline :

“ BMC tracks counsels, to fire those below par “

The civic body is using a software to keep track of its 60,000 court cases

According to an official, the counsels’ performance will be monitored through the number of adjourn to date

“ We have found that counsels kept running the case for years by getting new dates and continued to charge for each appearance in court “ , said the official

The law department of the BMC, however, informed him that it does not have record about the success rate of the cases. “Till now no such independent record is available with the department,” the law department stated in the reply.

=============================================================================

Now , there are 2 types of cases , viz:

TYPE A

·         Cases filed by others on BMC

-      Where BMC will save lawyer’s fees if “ No of hearing dates “ are reduced . Call this a SAVING

TYPE B

·         Cases filed by BMC on others

-      Where winning that case would result in some “ Earnings “ for BMC . Call this aEARNING

       

Hence , the lawyer’s fees should be decided based on SAVINGS ( in case of TYPE A ) ,

Or EARNINGS ( in case of TYPE B ) – which accrue in the shortest possible time

Based on statistics for the past 10 years , BMC should compute , a FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION CURVE ( a BELL shaped curve ) , for the “ No of Hearing Dates “ and calculate the STANDARD DEVIATION ( Sigma ) and calculate ( + / - ) 3 SIGMA limits

That would tell the BMC , “ Most likely Number of Hearing Dates “ for any given case

Let us say , this figure comes out 20

And BMC already knows in advance , “ Lawyer’s fees per appearance “ ( say, Rs 5000 )

So , estimating exactly ( with a probability of 99 % ) , HOW MUCH this case will cost , is a no brainer ! It would be Rs 100,000 ( for 20 hearings )

Now tell the Counsel :

Sir , this is the Upper Limit of the amount that we will pay you ( Rs 100,000 ) for fighting this case

But , from 10^th “ date “ onwards , we will start deducting , Rs 5,000 per each additional hearing , beyond 10^th ( - a PENALTY ),

And ,

For each date less than 10 , we will pay you a BONUS of Rs 5,000 !

And , we will DOUBLE the BONUS amount so arrived , if you WIN the case  !

Next witness a miracle !

All cases will start getting completed in 5 hearings !  May be in months , instead of in years !

I have a feeling that , overall , BMC will save crores of rupees ( despite paying BONUSES to lawyers ) , since it would save a huge amount of TIME  that its officers are currently spending in courts ( - and earning TA / DA ! )

After reading this , do not be surprised if some Start Up ( could be :  MeetUrPro / LawRato/ Vakilsearch /  IndiaFilings / Vahura  ) , comes up with a Mobile App called , “  AdJourn “ , to enable BMC lawyers to enter the adjourned date in the App which instantly and automatically , updates the CASE STATUS on the BMC web site and simultaneously , on the web site of the concerned court  !

Call this , “ Transparency at its Best “ ( - also to judge the performance of the JUDGE ! )

With more than 30 million cases pending in Courts all over India ,”  AdJourn “ could change the very landscape of India’s Legal Management System , if adopted by all the Courts !

This could be one more “ App for Everything “ – which Shri Modi would love to launch !

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22  Sept  2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs