[sustran] (NEWS) Mumbai's BRTS project turns into a joke!

[Rajendra A (Hindustan Times)]

Mumbai's BRTS project turns into a joke!

http://www.hindustantimes.in/news/181_1949087,000600010004.htm

Rajendra Aklekar

Mumbai, March 11, 2007
 
Mumbai’s Bus Rapid Transit System or simply the dedicated bus 
lanes’ project turned into a joke.
The BEST General Manager is ready with his fleet of buses, got them 
painted in devoted colours, a
special fare structure and timetable has been set, more fleet of 
international brand of buses
ordered and comprehensive plans drawn to run them on these hi-speed 
corridors. But there’s no road
to run these buses and kick off the plan! 

The state transport ministry has appointed a “core group” to look 
to the project and study its
aspects. The group will submit a report, the government will then 
consider it, after which a
decision will be taken. Simply speaking, it’s stuck in red tape and 
won’t kick off before 2008 or
even later.

This is not all. The latest problem is a dispute between the core group 
officials and the MMRDA as
to where should the bus lane be. While the MMRDA wants the lanes to be 
on the left, state
government officials want it on the right side of the roads. With no 
decision on the issue, the
matter is now hanging fire.

To the specific question when will buses start running on the BRTS 
project principal secretary
(transport) GS Gill told HT, “By the end of this calendar year
 
hopefully.”

Asked about the lane problem, a senior MMRDA official, on the condition 
of anonymity, said bus
lanes on the left would be helpful as they would not slow down buses. 
“If lanes are built in the
right, they would be obstructed by parked vehicles and hawkers, but in 
left, there would not be
any such problem. We will, however, have to invest in infrastructure to 
build stops.” There’s
another group of experts who are proposing that the bus lanes should be 
in the middle of the road
for higher speeds.

Pushed by the Central Ministry of Urban Transport and with a promise 
that the project would be
eligible for funding under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal 
Mission, a number of cities
woke up to the reality of BRTS last year, a globally accepted mode of 
urban mass transit in
crowded areas. Pune was the first city in Maharashtra to kick off the 
BRTS in November.

Mumbai’s BEST too drew plans in the middle of last year, got test-run 
done, placed an order for 20
hi-end Kinglong brand of buses for its project and also converted 20 of 
its existing Star Bus
fleet of buses. It was decided that these hi-end fast buses would run 
between Thane and Dadar for
four hours in morning and evening each, segregated from existing 
traffic by spring posts.

But officials woke up to reality after they found the buses simply 
would jam all traffic during
the peak hours and it would be difficult to stop other vehicles from 
coming in these bus lanes. 
State officials said that actual project had been delayed for the 
benefit of the city. The core
group has been formed so that there is better planning and 
co-ordination between the state
government, transport department and all the agencies concerned to 
ensure better planning for the
project.

The core group set up by the All India Institute of Local Self 
Government (AIILSG), will decide
the terms of reference, after which the MMRDA will issue the bids and 
appoint the consultants. The
core group consists of officials from the MMRDA, BEST, AIILSG and the 
BMC, among others. “My buses
are ready. The moment I get a green signal from the government, I shall 
run them,” says BEST
general manager Uttam Khobragade. But the green signal, it seems, may 
take a few more years.

Email author: rajendra.aklekar at hindustantimes.com


---
Rajendra Aklekar
Transport Correspondent
Hindustan Times
HT Media Limited
Mumbai Edition
--
140-4752, Nehru Nagar
Mumbai, 400024

Mobile: +91 9892 190 761
Office: 66539200
Fax: 66539250/60
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