BENGALURU: After a week-long stay in Dubai , when I stepped out of the Kempegowda International Airport, a loud honk reminded me that I was back home. In the middle-eastern city, I’d felt like a privileged pedestrian who could cross over to the other side of the road without the fear of being run over – vehicles, almost as if adhering to an unwritten code slowed down, drivers behind the wheel were patient, especially if they spotted a lady or a group of kids. Here, holding on to my trolley and dear life I jumped out of the way of an approaching, swerving out-of-control SUV just in time before I could turn into a road mishap statistic. Welcome back to Bengaluru.

In Dubai I was greeted at the Dubai International Airport by a smiling driver, also a fellow Indian, who stood in waiting with my name printed in neat, bold letters on a placard, which he held above his head. My introduction to Dubai’s seamless, hassle-free systems began right at the parking lot where a machine swallowed up the parking ticket, calculated the fee and all we had to do was deposit the cash into it. The gate at the airport's exit too was unmanned and opened up automatically. If the exact fee wasn’t paid up, the gate of course, I was told, would not open up plus the errant driver would be slapped with a hefty fine. It reminded me of Bengaluru’s automated parking meters in Central Business District. Most of them are dysfunctional and at the ones that work, no one bothers to pay.

A question of discipline

There was an even rarer sight in store ahead – vehicles scrupulously following lane discipline. It’s a practice that’s unheard, unseen and far from followed in Bengaluru. Bengaluru traffic cops rarely book cases for violating lane disciple, motorists too live in oblivion. It’s barely seen as a norm, so a violation can only be far-fetched. Though there were some attempts at structuring lanes for auto rickshaws on some stretches in Bengaluru, they miserably failed.

Dubai roads were dotted with pillar-like structures with radars mounted and cameras were everywhere. The surveillance systems are used to monitor traffic violations including speed-limit breaches, jumping red lights, being caught in the wrong lane at busy intersections, among others. Punitive action isn’t limited to exorbitant fines alone – between 300 to 3000 AED. Violations also attract ‘black points’, which on reaching limit 24 will lead to the motorist’s driving license being temporarily withdrawn and being banned from driving any kind of vehicle for a year.

In Bengaluru there were a few proposals to implement point-system gradation to keep errant motorists under check. Like most great initiatives in the country, it never saw the light of day. The Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill, which proposes hefty fines on various violations is also yet to be passed by the Parliament.

The 820-metre long air-conditioned Metro link comprising 10 travellators between Dubai Mall, a sprawling and the Burj Khalifa metro station is another fascinating feature. Travellators can carry more than 13,500 people per hour and it would take anywhere between 15-20 minutes to traverse the distance. In fact, this Metro link was built in a year in contrast several such Foot Over Bridges are delayed for several years since the Metro turned operational in Bengaluru.

In fact, most Dubai metro stations are located inside shopping malls. In Bengaluru, only Sampige Road Metro station, located inside the Mantri Square Mall, can boast of a similar feature. The promise to connect Yeshwantpur Metro and railway stations remains on paper and BMRCL is now planning a 275-metre pedestrian subway connecting the proposed Cantonment Metro station at Bamboo Bazaar to Cantonment railway station.

Common fare cards

The Nol Card, a common mobility card launched by Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in 2009, is functional across Metro, Tram, Bus, Water Bus and Taxis. In Bengaluru, a similar umbrella organization named Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) which was proposed continues to be pending for several decades now. While Nol Card can be bought at all metro stations, bus stations and from authorized agents, BMTC’s ambitious Axis Bank Open loop card is only available at the Majestic bus terminus. A proposal for a similiar common mobility card on the lines of Nol card remains on paper in Bengaluru for several decades.

Dubai Metro trains, operational over more than 75km runs in both Red Line and Green Line, are fully automated and driverless. In Dubai, all Metro stations have platform edge doors to ensure the safety of passengers in case of crowding during peak hours. From the drivers’ cabin, one is treated to an uninterrupted view of the city and its skyscraper. Coaches reserved for women and children have stickers pasted on floors and platform screen doors. There’s an also uninterrupted Wi-Fi and mobile phone service unlike in Bengaluru where network disappears at underground stations for most mobile operators.

At Union Metro station, a transit point between Green and Red Lines, the switch was seamless movement and staff polite, patient and well behaved. Escalators follow a simple rule: Walk on the left, stand at the right. In Bengaluru, BMRCL should at least mention this on stairs to avoid crowding at escalators.

The double-decker air-conditioned, conductor-less RTA buses also didn’t disappoint. All you have to do, much like at metro stations, is place your Nol Card on the card reader, which flashes a green light to indicate check-in. While alighting, you have to place the card against the reader again which will then display the balance on the card. Conductor-less buses are an option worth exploring for Metro feeder buses in Bengaluru.

At air-conditioned bus stops commuters can access the estimated arrival of the next bus, apart from route maps and other travel information. By contrast, in Bengaluru, a proposal to display bus timings on bus shelters stands delayed due to poor coordination between BMTC and BBMP.

RTA has an app as well as a call centre that dispenses information about multiple transport modes. In Bengaluru, each government agency has a separate app and there is no provision for a third party to develop a common app. RTA taxis in Dubai neither refuse rides nor demand over the meter fare. They halt at only designated taxi bays unlike just about anywhere that cabs pull up in Bengaluru, adding to the traffic congestion. RTA cabs also accept card payment which means no fighting over change. In contrast, Bengaluru auto drivers are notorious for refusal to ply or demanding extra above the government fixed fare.

The Palm Jumeirah Monorail, along the 5.45km stretch from Atlantis Aquaventure station to Gateway station was a treat for the eyes. Nol Card isn’t acceptable on this mode since it’s owned by a private property-based developer. A one-way ticket cost 20 AED and offered a lovely panoramic view of the Palm Island and the Dubai Marina and Downtown Dubai skyline.

Looking the glitch-free, efficient functioning of all modes of transport, I asked my driver how it came to be so, while back in India buses are notorious for everyday breakdowns and our roads struggle to even weather a single spell of rains. His answer was simple, yet insightful, “Because everything works here”.

( This correspondent was in Dubai on invitation by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce )

