[sustran] Re: Games bus lanes may stay in Delhi

[Jains]

While the idea of bus lanes on JVLR is quite good, as a daily user of this
road I can't agree to the assertion that traffic volume on this is not high.
This road remains congested for most part of the day. For the bus lanes to
work on this, a high degree of discipline on part of bus drivers would also
be needed. Currently BEST buses have the tendency to stop right in the
middle of two lanes and pick-up / drop-off and bullying their way
through. Footpath are non-existent in many parts forcing pedestrians to walk
on the street. There are no proper pedestrian crossings forcing the
community living on both sides to just run across the eight lanes of
highway.

If the DBL has to work, it should be well-planned, well-thought approach not
the same way as Delhi planned their first BRT line, which despite a high
usage is marred with glaring design oversights and hence did not gain much
currency for future expansion. I recently saw Pune BRT as well and I must
say that I failed to get impressed with it. Bold effort, yes but certainly
not the most beautiful (in a certainly beautiful city).

What we fail to understand often is that proof of the pudding is in eating.
A system can be both good or bad depending on how it is finally delivered
and serves the purpose. Are we designing cheap system for the poor or value
for money system for all? If we go for the former, we can never get the cars
off the road!!!

Have a good day.
Alok

On Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 9:31 PM, ashok datar <datar.ashok at gmail.com> wrote:

> We are doing a small actionable study on JVLR within next three months.
> we believe that this 10 km link has not very high traffic volume today. It
> does not have many right or left turns ( only three , can u believe it ?)
> the footpaths are very wide - min 6 meters to 10 meters and there is a good
> possibility to provide recessed bus stops and hence we can experiment with
> DBL
> and first focus on whether we can provide high frequency reliable service
> with sensible routing
> would welcome ideas and suggestions
> we feel that something like Delhi is worth trying thru focussing on
> discipline
> we are obviously not anti to center lane fully engineered BRTS
> and would welcome debate
> our idea is to prevent misuse of footpaths which are not mostly encroached
> and this will prevent that
> we are working with BEST and MMRDA on this and would love to see something
> sensible can happen in few months
> bus lanes in CWG are encouraging us
> and would like to know more about them
> ashok datar
>
> On Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 4:02 PM, Faizan Jawed <phaizan at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I couldn't agree more with you. Could you please update us with the
> latest
> > on the Mumbai BRTS? Is it going anywhere?
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > Faizan
> >
> >
> >
> > On Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 3:59 PM, ashok datar <datar.ashok at gmail.com
> >wrote:
> >
> >> it is time that we take BRTS as a serious option.
> >> discipline and fair use of limited road space is possible and
> >> desirable and let us not waste time and keep on discussing
> >> this system should be considered in all its variants for mumbai
> >>
> >> On 10/9/10, Faizan Jawed <phaizan at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> > Very surprising.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > *Games lanes may be here to stay*
> >> >
> >> > Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar
> >> >
> >> > *Delhi Government takes note of their success*
> >> >
> >> > ------------------------------
> >> > *
> >> >
> >> > A similar system for future use may prove a boon for public buses and
> >> > emergency vehicles
> >> >
> >> > Government may also overhaul the ramshackle metro feeder bus fleet
> >> > *
> >> > ------------------------------
> >> >
> >> > NEW DELHI: The success of the Commonwealth Games lane in ensuring
> >> systematic
> >> > movement of buses and other vehicles for delegates and players during
> >> the
> >> > Games has made the Delhi Government sit up and take note.
> >> >
> >> > For these lanes have now thrown open the possibility of a similar
> system
> >> for
> >> > future use in which public transport buses and other emergency
> vehicles
> >> can
> >> > be provided a dedicated corridor without affecting other road-users
> >> much.
> >> >
> >> > “The CWG lanes have been helping the buses meant for the Games to
> travel
> >> > long distances in a short span of time. This is an encouraging sign.
> >> With
> >> > about 6,500 buses now in the Delhi Transport Corporation fleet,
> >> expansion of
> >> > a similar model across Delhi can really give a fillip to the public
> >> > transportation,'' said a senior Delhi Government official.
> >> >
> >> > Incidentally, the new lane system which is also working due to fear of
> >> > Rs.2,000 challans and imprisonment that its violation now entails has
> >> shown
> >> > that rather than having a physically separated bus corridor, the lane
> >> system
> >> > can work equally fine and with greater flexibility if the
> implementation
> >> is
> >> > proper.
> >> >
> >> > With the BRT corridor in South Delhi coming in for a lot of criticism,
> >> and
> >> > its extension to the north being little more than drawing of lanes on
> >> the
> >> > road, the manner of implementation of the CWG lane has shown up some
> >> > interesting possibilities.
> >> >
> >> > “Will make public transport popular”
> >> >
> >> > “A dedicated corridor for buses and other vehicles would definitely
> >> improve
> >> > public transportation as it would help buses move faster. This, on the
> >> other
> >> > hand, would also encourage more and more people to leave their
> personal
> >> > vehicles and take the buses,'' said Delhi Transport Minister Arvinder
> >> Singh
> >> > Lovely.
> >> >
> >> > Though a final decision in this direction would have to wait till the
> >> Games
> >> > are over, Mr. Lovely said the Government would also like to find an
> >> > alternative to the rickety Metro feeder buses.
> >> >
> >> > Having got the Blueline buses off many of the roads, the idea now is
> to
> >> > streamline movement of public transport by getting these feeder buses
> >> > replaced in a systematic manner.
> >> >
> >> > “We also need to have air-conditioned and proper mini-buses on the
> roads
> >> to
> >> > provide a better feeder service. Such a system would add to the public
> >> > transport network and increase its popularity,'' he said.
> >> >
> >> > The Minister said while the DTC is at present operating 4,400 buses on
> >> the
> >> > city routes, this number would swell following the Games when all
> >> 6,500-odd
> >> > DTC buses would be available for duty. “That should really encourage
> >> more
> >> > people to take to public transport,'' he added.
> >> >
> >> > http://www.hindu.com/2010/10/09/stories/2010100960640400.htm
> >> > --------------------------------------------------------
> >> > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit
> >> > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss
> >> >
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> >> > ================================================================
> >> > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred,
> >> > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing
> countries
> >> > (the 'Global South').
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Ashok R.Datar
> >> Mumbai Environmental Social Network
> >> 20 Madhavi, Makarand Society, S.V.S.Marg, Mahim-400 016
> >> 98676 65107/0222 444 9212 see our website : www.mesn.org
> >> * I hear, then I forget.  I see, then I remember. I do, then I
> >> understand.*
> >>
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Ashok R.Datar
> Mumbai Environmental Social Network
> 20 Madhavi, Makarand Society, S.V.S.Marg, Mahim-400 016
> 98676 65107/0222 444 9212 see our website : www.mesn.org
> * I hear, then I forget.  I see, then I remember. I do, then I understand.*
> --------------------------------------------------------
> To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit
> http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss
>
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> equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries
> (the 'Global South').
>