A state capital's public transport corporation reports a sharp decline in bus ridership alongside a severe surge in suburban traffic congestion over the past year. A preliminary investigation reveals that erratic bus scheduling and unaligned route networks have drastically increased passenger wait times, prompting commuters to switch to private two-wheelers and unregulated shared vans. Additionally, depot managers report frequent vehicle breakdowns due to deferred maintenance. To resolve this urban transport crisis, which of the following is the most effective and proportional administrative strategy for the transport commissioner to implement?
- Conduct an immediate commuter origin-destination survey to realign bus routes, enforce strict timetables, and establish dedicated bus corridors to improve service reliability.Answer
- BImpose an immediate complete ban on all private two-wheelers and shared vans entering the city center during peak hours.
- CSubsidize bus ticket fares by 50% across all routes while maintaining the existing vehicle deployment and route schedules.
- DBypass standard procurement and maintenance protocols by leasing uninspected private minibuses to temporarily double fleet frequency.
Answer
Conduct an immediate commuter origin-destination survey to realign bus routes, enforce strict timetables, and establish dedicated bus corridors to improve service reliability.
The optimal strategy targets the primary root cause identified in the scenario: erratic scheduling and route misalignment. By gathering origin-destination data, restructuring routes, enforcing schedules, and improving bus flow via dedicated lanes, the administration addresses the fundamental reason commuters abandoned public transit while maintaining procedural integrity.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Qualitative Cause-and-Effect Problem Solving in Administrative Decision Making