[sustran] Re: Bus Lanes

[Ananthakrishnan]

The writer mentions a host of problems that are found in almost all South
Asian cities - unplanned for any significant level of automobile-based
mobility - and it is evident that the answer to me lies in making public
transport more attractive.  Simply because, the buses are run with all these
problems even now, and lanes are not going to make service worse, only
better.

Chennai's experiment with a limited stretch of bus lane has, on balance,
been positive. It is the only stretch where buses can move faster in the
city, a fact acknowledged by all, most importantly, by the monopoly
operator, MTC. Travel times can in fact be guaranteed, except for a major
obstruction.  Thus, the lanes do work.

What is more, the maximum number of road accident victims for motorised
transport in this city are two-wheeler riders, who have adopted this mode
because the buses have failed them. Therefore, more buses, more lanes,
appropriate fares and greater access would in the long term have enormous
social benefits by reducing fatalities and injuries.

Even politically, I would presume that if bus commuters are organised by
NGOs, it is bound to have an impact on policy - simply because the numbers
are greater than car users.  After the media and concerned individuals in
Chennai made a big noise over the proposal to scrap the lane, the urban
development authority beat a hasty retreat.

Chennai happens to be part of the Sustainable Cities concept of UNDP and is
committed to improving public transport, noise and air pollution.

Activists would perhaps achieve better results, if they take up South Asian
mobility issues in the perspective of the massive aid that cities receive
for development from international agencies - ostensibly for sustainable
development.

My newspaper (The Hindu) has just frontpaged a story locally on how the
urban development authority and the Governments in New Delhi and Chennai
have failed to achieve integration of fares and services in this city.


G.Ananthakrishnan, Chennai-based journalist can be reached at Tel: + 91 44
8413942 , Fax: + 91 44 8415395.

----- Original Message -----
From: kisansbc at bom5 <kisansbc at bom5.vsnl.net.in>
To: Sustran <sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2000 5:03 AM
Subject: [sustran] Bus Lanes


>
> 21 January 2000
>
> Dear Paul,
>
> Your email of 05.01.2000 gives representative information
> on cities having bus lanes.
>
> It must be admitted that though citizens and authorities
> are talking for bus lanes, they are not provided on
> substantial scale.  Compared to total kilometrage of
> roads in a city, only a few have bus lanes.  This is
> being done to silence the opposition of nonmotor car/
> vehicle owners.  It is more like a bait to citizens
> demanding precedence for public road transport.
>
> But do bus lanes work even in a limited manner?
> Cities of the developing countries have considerable
> number of nonmotorised vehicles for movement of
> man and goods.  Hawkers and other encroachments
> are rampant.  They occupy firs tlane designated as
> bus lane.  Many cities do not have pavements
> invariably for pedestrian movement.  Pavements
> wherever they exist are usurped by shop extensions,
> hawkers and parked 2-3-4 wheelers.  Implementation
> is poor together very low respect for law in the
> motorists.  Where a single traffic lane is designated
> as bus lane, large number of buses plying create chaos.
> Bus stops and traffic junctions create a piling up of
> buses on a single lane.  Cross lanes and streets
> without traffic control pose accident hazard.
>
> Opening of markets has resulted in increasing the
> number of motor cars tremendously. For instance,
> motor cars are increasing at the rate of 7-8% per annum
> in Mumbai against a population incarease of 2%.   India
> has become the target for large international motorcar
> makers.  Now foreign second hand cars are making entry.
> Cars have started percolating into towns and villages which
> are not built for motor traffic.
>
> Should we in SUSTRAN  ask for bus lanes and feel happy
> on receiving bus lane on a few roads for a limited patch?
> There are roads in Mumbai which are banned for public
> transport - BEST services by municipalised bus transport
> undertaking but there are no roads closed to private car.
> Even 3 km length on Mount Road in Chennai is only
> symbolic offering while other roads continue to create
> problems.
>
> Kisan Mehta
> President
> Save Bombay Committee
>
>