[sustran] More BRT corridors, more buses

[Vinay Baindur]

*Date:03/07/2009* *URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/03/stories/2009070357710400.htm*
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New Delhi <http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/03/24hdline.htm>

* More BRT corridors, more buses *
Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar * Public transport initiative reviewed by
Court-appointed panel and Delhi Govt. *
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More buses to be inducted under the cluster scheme

Eurto-4 compliant diesel in Delhi by 2010
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NEW DELHI: The public transport initiative in the Capital was reviewed at a
meeting between the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control
Authority panel head Bhure Lal and member Sunita Narain and Delhi Chief
Minister Sheila Dikshit, Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely and senior
officials here on Thursday.

It was announced at the meeting that a study on the proposed second Bus
Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor from Karawal Nagar to the Commonwealth Games
Village would be completed by September and tenders would be floated
thereafter. Also, the meeting was informed that the second phase of the
first BRT corridor that connected Ambedkar Nagar to the north of Delhi would
become operational by August.

It has also been decided that an automatic fare collection system and global
positioning system would be installed in all the Delhi Transport Corporation
(DTC) buses for better time and route management.

The meeting was informed that the DTC intends to increase its own strength
to about 6,500 buses but the biggest bottleneck coming in the way was the
inability of big suppliers like Tata and Ashok Leyland to supply so many
low-floor buses on time.

While Mr. Bhure Lal is understood to have stated that he would take up the
matter with these companies, sources said since a decision has now been
taken to have semi-low-floor buses in the fleet as well, this supply
constraint had been reduced to a great extend.

Simultaneously, the Delhi Government is now moving fast on the process of
allowing private operators to run a clusters of buses. The first person to
bag the tender has submitted a bank guarantee and is expected to get in 250
buses in a few months. The remaining 17 clusters would be re-tendered and
now the operators would be allowed 50 per cent low-floor and 50 per cent
semi-low-floor buses. This process is likely to be completed by September
and about 4,500 buses are expected to come through this route. So in all, as
against the requirement of about 9,000 buses, Delhi would have about 11,000
buses in a couple of years.

Sources said these private operators would get the buses on their own and
are expected to look at options from other countries like China as well.

The EPCA members were also keen that a public transport fund be created
under which private car owners and other road users should be taxed for
subsidising and funding public transport in Delhi. Such a system is already
in place in Surat and is part of the conditions stipulated under the
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

The meeting was also informed by Mr. Bhure Lal that Euro 4-compliant diesel
with only 50 parts per million of sulphur would be made available in Delhi
from April 1, 2010.
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