[sustran] Delhi government scraps BRT corridor system

[Vinay Baindur]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Delhi-government-scraps-BRT-corridor-system/articleshow/48161316.cms






*Delhi government scraps BRT corridor system*
TNN | Jul 21, 2015, 06.39 PM IST
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NEW DELHI: The AAP-led Delhi government on Tuesday decided to scrap the Bus
Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor system introduced by Shiela Dikshit-led
Congress government in the city.
"The decision to scrap BRT was taken in a meeting chaired by Delhi chief
minister Arvind Kejriwal," Delhi law minister Kapil Mishra said.

The BRT, a subject of heated debate between its few proponents and many
opponents, was virtually a non-starter from the beginning. While it sought
to promote the noble cause of faster public transport by giving buses a
special lane, it miscalculated the road space required for other traffic,
with the result that the specially designed stretch from Ambedkar Nagar to
Defence Colony was mired in traffic jams, high pollution and high fuel
consumption from idling vehicles. The stretch rapidly became notorious for
frayed tempers, accidents and delays.

Dikshit-led Congress government had opened the BRT corridor in Delhi on
April 20, 2008.


The 5.8 km-long corridor from Ambedkar Nagar to Moolchand came in for
massive criticism for the way it was planned. With all traffic except buses
crammed into a two-lane carriageway, the busy stretch saw massive traffic
jams.

Even the dedicated bus lanes running through the middle of the road weren't
snag-free. Traffic here was held up every time a bus broke down. The
project was also criticized for lack of facilities for pedestrians,
especially in crossing the road to reach the bus shelters in the middle.