[sustran] BRTS in Delhi

[Sujit Patwardhan]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sujit Patwardhan <sujitjp at gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Apr 25, 2008 at 1:08 PM
Subject: Re: [pttfgen:1409] BRTS in Delhi
To: pttfgen at googlegroups.com


25 April 2008


BRT in Delhi
=========

Yes problems galore and I've been following the reports in the media
including the CNN IBN that Ashok Datar was to appear on, but didn't for some
reason.

My take on all this is as follows:

Deterioration in traffic has been an ongoing process in many Asian cities
for the last 3 decades or more. Like the frog sitting in a beaker of water
being slowly heated it has not had an occasion to "explode". Metro was taken
up and executed brilliantly by Mr. E Sridharan, with attention to the
minutest detail and a free hand guaranteeing "no interference" from
politicians. On top of that every lapse and overshooting of budgets as well
as abysmally poor ridership compared to the projected figures was pardoned
by a supportive Govt and compensated from additional funds made available
without delay and cloaked in secrecy.

*Delhi Metro project is a marketing triumph that fills every Indian's chest
with pride*. However, how much travel-coverage (as Public Transport) the
very expensive Metro will be able to provide is a big question mark. There
is also the real possibility that the amount spent on the Metro represents
lost opportunity for other investments - like libraries and cultural
centres, gardens, public spaces and other amenities needed by the city. *But
in the final analysis we should accept that the Metro is pubic transport and
hence we must support it* unlike the eight lane highways, flyovers,
multistory car parks and other infrastructures being *routinely provided by
the city as subsidy to ever growing number of car and 2 wheeler owners at
the cost of other more efficient modes of travel.*

BRT unlike the Metro has to deal with the existing conditions on our roads.
Of indiscipline, rampant irregularities, encroachments, poor engineering,
lack of understanding about the rights of pedestrians, cyclists and non
personal auto users. So if the road surface is poor BRT is blamed, if
drivers are indisciplined  BRT is blamed, if a car stalls in the MV lane and
clogs up the traffic it is perceived as a problem caused by the BRT. If the
BRT lanes look empty (as indeed they will - considering each bus carries
many more people), it is seen as  waste of an expensive resource -- although
not many of these critics complained much all these years about the *wasteful
use of resources when low occupancy cars filled up these very roads* - well
before BRT appeared on the scene.

So it is clear that BRT planning should have been rooted in outreach and
marketing it as a concept that will improve mobility (of people as against
just near-empty personal vehicles),  will greatly improve access for people
who are today helpless captive users of uncomfortable and outdated buses, it
will provide an option to those who are forced to use personal transport,
not necessarily out of choice but compulsion, and as benefits of a growing
BRT network becomes visible and better, more comfortable and even A/C buses
start plying on the BRT corridors, the higher middle class and even the rich
will have no problem patronizing this mode for purely rational reasons of
getting a faster, more punctual, comfortable and stress-free mode of travel.


This indeed is the situation in many cities in Europe and while we have no
qualms about importing western concepts  (English medium education, wearing
suits and tie however uncomfortable they may be in our weather, listening to
western music, eating the big Mac (ughhh) and even importing Cheerleaders
for our newly formed Cricket Series) why do we suddenly start protesting
when our capital city tries to copy a Western/ Latin American idea of
excellent bus system/BRT calling it a foreign concept??????

The need is to publicise wider benefits of public transport and to reach the
*majority *of citizens who are users/potential users of *bus based public
transport, cycling and walking* in the city. (It is they who will benefit
most from a good BRT)

It is this huge majority of commuters who will have the opportunity of
breaking free from the shackles of our present horrendous conditions of
urban traffic.

So let's not worry too much about the high pitched screams coming from the
pampered lot of car users (and to some extent from two wheelers) protesting
against dedicated BRT lanes taking away *their* road space, and let's reach
the gagged-majority who have been at the receiving end of the stick ever
since our cities became car-dominated *and if necessary bring them on the
roads to block the MV lanes and put the personal cars in their place.

*Does this sound extreme? Not when contrasted with the obscene arrogant rant
coming from Mr Chandan Mitra -  representing the car lobby/media/politician
clique on the recent CNN IBN TV report about the mess accompanying the BRT
trials in Delhi.

--
Sujit











On Fri, Apr 25, 2008 at 10:35 AM, Abhay Patil <abhay.patil at gmail.com> wrote:

> Looks like BRTS in Delhi has reached a flash point.  From the visuals (CNN
> IBN, newspapers) it looks like Delhi's implementation is no better than
> Pune.  Empty BRTS lanes, sloppy junctions, ordinary bus stops and so on.  I
> don't know what went amiss in the capital.  Sheila Dixit has promised that
> she would make an all out effort to remove the glitches in a few weeks.
> Most important - she has said that she would not hesitate to drop the
> project if they are unable to get their act together right away.
>
> On a positive note - everybody is looking at BRTS now.  On a negative note
> - it is appears to be quite a tall order to fix it.  Given the ugly traffic
> jams and vociferousness of folks like journalist MP Chandan Mitra - it is
> quite likely that the baby would be thrown out with the bath water! And,
> that would have serious repercussions on BRTS in other cities.  I can not
> imagine the cacophony that would ensue once that happens...
>
> -Abhay
>
>
>
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-- 
------------------------------------------------------
Sujit Patwardhan
sujitjp at gmail.com

"Yamuna",
ICS Colony,
Ganeshkhind Road,
Pune 411 007
India
Tel: +91 20 25537955
Cell: +91 98220 26627
-----------------------------------------------------
Hon. Secretary:
Parisar
www.parisar.org
------------------------------------------------------
Founder Member:
PTTF
(Pune Traffic & Transportation Forum)
www.pttf.net
------------------------------------------------------



-- 
------------------------------------------------------
Sujit Patwardhan
sujitjp at gmail.com

"Yamuna",
ICS Colony,
Ganeshkhind Road,
Pune 411 007
India
Tel: +91 20 25537955
Cell: +91 98220 26627
-----------------------------------------------------
Hon. Secretary:
Parisar
www.parisar.org
------------------------------------------------------
Founder Member:
PTTF
(Pune Traffic & Transportation Forum)
www.pttf.net
------------------------------------------------------