Prawaas 2.0: Bigger and better
The second edition of Prawaas, held in Mumbai, turned out to be a bigger success.
The bigger and better second edition of Prawaas, a biennial event, was organised by the Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI) along with host associations, Mumbai Bus
nMalak Sanghatana (MBMS) and Federation of Tourist Taxi Operators (FOTTO). Held over three-days, from July 25-27, 2019 at Navi Mumbai’s CIDCO Convention and Trade Centre, the event attracted stakeholders of the private bus and cab industry. The theme of this edition being, ‘Safe, Smart and Sustainable Passenger Mobility’, the show witnessed healthy participation of close to 10000 visitors, 150 exhibitors, 100 speakers and 5000 operators
from 28 states and nine union territories. Spread over 150000 sq. ft., the booths across the three exhibition halls were abuzz with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), bus body builders, and components manufacturers. Attracting exhibitors of diverse nature, companies from IT and mobility, training and skill development, and finance and insurance, State Transport Undertakings (STUs) and tourism boards, the show, like the inaugural edition attracted private bus and cab operators from almost every nook an corner of the country. Drawing a large contingent of private bus operators from Assam for example, the show saw Government ministers from the centre and various state attend it. In his address, Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, lauded BOCI for its efforts to bring mobility stakeholders from all over the country on one platform. “Online registration of vehicles, one nation one permit, amendment in Motor Vehicle Act to remove educational qualification criteria, subsidies for electric vehicles and provision of better infrastructure like busports will revolutionise public transport,” he announced. The minister to facilitate simplification of processes, higher degree of transparency and a corruptionfree system.
Explained Diwakar Raote, Minister for Transport, Government of Maharashtra, in his speech, “We have taken a number of initiatives that will ease the pain of commuters and make operations profitable for the operators.” Her drew attention to initiatives like the 40 per cent fare reduction of MSRTC’s Shivshahi bus service and a strategy to convert the 18,500 strong MSRTC bus fleet to LNG. Criticizing the present policy to subsidise electric buses to make the buses affordable, the minister called for greater cooperation among the stakeholders to ensure a winwin proposition for all. Prasanna Patwardhan, President, Bus Operators Confederation of India, expressed that they are elated to have all the key stakeholders for engagement and to explore solutions that would shape the ‘Transport of Tomorrow’. He drew attention to how the technology of buses in the country was changing at a pace slower than expected. Touching upon environmental concerns, and the potential for electric vehicles35,
Patwardhan opined, “EVs will play a huge role in mass mobility going forward.” He expressed of a need for policy and infrastructure to keep pace with the changing technology. Drawing attention to the country’s poor track record in road safety, KT Rajashekhara, Chairman, Bus Operators Confederation Of India, called upon the government to take adequate measures. “Accidents don’t take place accidentally,” he quipped. Making a strong case for the government to uplift private transporters and public transport, Rajashekara stressed upon stricter enforcement of rules to elevate safety.
Citing the recent move to rationalise bus fares in Maharashtra, Aaditya Thackery, President, Yuva Sena, Youth Wing of Shiv Sena, said that transport is one of the most critical aspects of development and no state can progress unless it has a robust transportation system in place.” “Maharashtra as a state has taken a number of key initiatives like rationalisation of bus fares, which has resulted in an exponential rise in commuters,” he averred. Thackery referred to the 50 per cent reduction in fares of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) city bus operations in Mumbai in an effort to make it, profitable and sustainable once again. Stating that they were aware of the industry pain points, he spoke about preparing a 20-year industry roadmap. Touching upon the need to give shape to a multi-modal transport system for better last mile connectivity, governments move to throw open BEST depots across Mumbai for parking private buses.
Sharing of thoughts and knowledge
Held along side the exhibition, the session on ‘Stage Operations and its changing role’ saw Jalaj Gupta, Head Sales, Global Buses, Ashok Leyland, speak about the governments, OEs, operators and aggregators being the four important stakeholders in the transportation sector. “The government must play key roles in matters like the implementation of bus body code, and the uniform implementation of AIS 153,”he expressed. A session on ‘School Bus Challenges’, saw panellists speak about the opportunities in the segment, and how they cannot be realised because of the various challenges faced. Touching upon the safety features in school buses, they stressed on uniform implementation of features like the panic button, tracking system and cameras for end-to-end monitoring. Opining that the industry would have to bear higher compliance costs, the panelists found a common ground on enhancing safety and security of school children. As part of
Yuva BOCI, startups attracted much attention for the ‘out of the box’ solutions on accessibility and inclusivity, sustainability and carbon footprint, e-mobility, and the role of IoT in transport. The session on ‘Public Private Partnership in Delivering Bus Transport’ highlighted the role of the government, OEMs and operators, and aggregators in shaping up an ecosystem for seamless passenger connectivity and mobility. Gerald Ollivier, Lead Transport Specialist, World Bank, stated, “Authorities need to create non-fare based revenues and subsidies to supplement the shortfall in fare based revenues.” He called for the need to reflect upon the positive impact of bus services on overall mobility and the need for clear planning, funding and performance monitoring responsibilities in addition to the need to have a mechanism in place for balanced contracting with private operators. Ollivier called for operations backed by secured funding and key performance indicators. This, he said, should be monitored through centralised systems.
In the session on ‘Shared mobility: A game-changer or trouble maker?’, , emerging gg trends were focused upon in context to the rising congestion and pollution. The need to curtail taxation in a manner that makes commuting affordable was emphasised upon. On the ‘Role of Mobility in Tourism’, the reason for tourism to underperform was blamed on the lack of adequate connectivity. The participants were unanimous in their call for the government and private operators to ensure safe and secure transport; to make it more viable for tourists to avail of better mobility alternatives.
Awards
The ‘BOCI Excellence Awards’ at Prawaas 2019 saw outperforming players being appreciated. Due recognition for extraordinary contribution by fleet operators across different fleet categories was extended. Company’s found to promote best practices, showcasing achievements and encouraging innovation, and those redefining g the paradigms p g of passenger mobility were felicitated.