Trouble brews for BRTS corridor

PUNE: After spending crores of rupees on the 16km Vishrantwadi-Wagholi Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor, the Pune Municipal Corporation now wants to term it as a ?dedicated bus corridor.' Last week, the municipal corporation had announced that the dedicated bus service can be started to solve traffic problems on the Alandi Road stretch.
Civic activists across the city have raised strong objections and pointed out that the municipal corporation is putting pressure on the city's public bus transport company ? PMPML ? to start the bus service as early as possible and have enquired whether the service could be started on August 15.
A senior civic official said, "There is no clear definition of BRTS. For PMC, it is a dedicated bus corridor. We have completed all our work. It is now up to the PMPML to start the service.'' Last week in a meeting convened by mayor Chanchala Kodre, PMPML had stated that BRTS cannot be started as there was no Intelligent Traffic Management System. It was then decided that a dedicated bus service can be started instead.
In the last three to four months, senior civic officials had been saying that most work on the Alandi Road stretch between Sangamwadi and Vishrantwadi is almost complete and that operations can begin. The 6km Alandi Road stretch has about five bus stations. PMC has installed automatic doors at some of the bus stations. A stone pelting incident damaged some of the bus stations. The sanctioned cost of the BRTS corridor under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) is Rs 370.3 crore. The project was expected to be complete by March 2012.
PMPML officials said that the main concern was safety with respect to pedestrian crossings, proper signs and synchronization of BRTS signals. "We want to implement a foolproof bus service with passenger safety. There are some technical issues which need to be sorted out. If the frequency of service is not maintained, private vehicles would enter the corridor. Constant coordination with the traffic police is required to ensure that there is deployment of traffic wardens and policemen to prevent private vehicles from entering the corridor,'' a senior PMPML official said. The official added that the frequency of buses will be affected as there is no end bus terminal at Vishrantwadi. PMPML wants to run buses at an interval of every four minutes.
After spending crores of rupees on the 16km Vishrantwadi-Wagholi Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor, the Pune Municipal Corporation now says it is not a BRTS, but only a dedicated bus corridor''. The municipal corporation last week announced that a dedicated bus service'' can be started to solve the traffic problem, initially on the Alandi road stretch.
Civic activists who have raised strong objections to starting the dedicated bus service have charged that the municipal corporation is building up pressure on the city public bus transport company ? PMPML to start the bus service as early as possible, and even enquired whether the service could be started on the Independence Day.
A senior civic official said, there is no clear definition of BRTS. For PMC, it is a dedicated bus corridor. On our part all the works have been completed. It is now for the PMPML to start the service''. The official made a reference of the meeting convened by mayor Chanchala Kodre last week in which it was stated that for solving the traffic problems on the roads, a dedicated bus service can be started. At the meeting, PMPML had said that BRTS cannot be started because there was no Intelligent Traffic Management System. It was decided at the meeting that a dedicated bus service can be started.
Incidentally, in the last three to four months, senior civic officials had been harping that most of the works on the Alandi road stretch between Sangamwadi to Vishrantwadi had almost been completed'', and that operations can begin on corridor. The 6km Alandi road stretch has about 5 bus stations. PMC had installed automatic doors at some of the bus stations. Some of the bus stations have been damaged due to stone pelting by miscreants. The sanctioned cost of the BRTS corridor under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) is Rs 370.3 crore. The project was expected to be completed by March 2012.
PMPML officials said the main concern was safety aspects such as safe pedestrian crossings for commuters, proper signages, and synchronization of BRTS signals. We want to implement a fool proof bus service with passenger safety as the main concern. There are some technical issues which need to be sorted out. If the frequency of service is not maintained, private vehicles would enter the corridor. There is therefore a need for coordination with the traffic police as well to ensure that there is deployment of traffic wardens and policemen to prevent private vehicles from entering the corridor'', a senior PMPML official said. The officials added that there is no end bus terminal at Vishrantwadi and this will affect frequency of buses. PMPML wants to run buses at a frequency of every four minutes.
Activist speak
"The delay in the implementation of the BRTS has worsened the traffic situation in the city and has affected many commuters. A huge amount of public money has been spent without getting the desired result and valuable time has been lost. The PMC should conduct a detailed inquiry to determine the reasons for failure in implementing the BRTS project and fix accountability. Despite spending crores of rupees on the project, the PMC has not been able to complete a single corridor. The civic body and the PMPML should not take any hasty decision in starting a bus service in the BRTS lanes as all the basic requirements have not been adequately fulfilled. It will put lives of commuters at risk."
Prashant Inamdar, Pedestrians First
Prashant Inamdar of Pedestrians First said, the impact of the delay in implementing BRTS project has resulted in severe worsening of the traffic situation in the city which has directly affected the people. A large sum of public money has been spent without obtaining desired results and valuable time has also been lost. PMC should conduct a detailed inquiry to determine reasons for failure to implement the BRTS project and fix accountability. It is shocking that Despite spending crores on the project, PMC has not been able to complete not even a single corridor''. Inamdar added that PMC and PMPML should not take any hasty decision to start bus service in the BRTS lanes as all basic requirements have not been adequately fulfilled. It will lead to serious unsafe conditions putting the lives of bus commuters and road users at grave risk.
There are innumerable flaws in execution of the project, which is not even complete. Neither passenger safety while crossing the median has been considered nor has the true value of rapidity which is inherent to any BRTS project has been achieved. The failed pilot BRTS project on the corridor between 16km Katraj and Hadapsar via Swargate is a proof of hurried shoddy roll-out under political pressure. The project has claimed many lives. We will hold the authorities responsible if any accident takes place due to the hurried roll-out of BRTS on the Alandi Road- Nagar Road stretch
Qaneez Sukhrani, Nagrik Chetna Manch
Qaneez Sukhrani, convenor of BRTS cell of the Nagrik Chetna Manch said there are innumerable flaws in execution and the project is not complete. Neither passenger safety to cross over the median has been considered, nor the true value of rapidity which is inherent in any BRTS has been achieved'', she said.
The failed pilot BRTS project on the corridor between 16km Katraj and Hadapsar via Swargate is evidence of a hurried shoddy roll-out under political pressure. The project has claimed many lives. If any accident or fatality arises out of a hurried roll-out of the BRTS on the Alandi road- Nagar road stretch without correct execution and implementation, we will hold the authorities responsible'', Sukhrani added.
Issues raised by citizens' groups
** Even though its called a dedicated bus service, all features of BRTS need to be operational (except Intelligent Traffic Management System)
** PMPML should be ready with trained operational, administration and management staff to run this module successfully
** BRTS will be possible only after PMC executes all aspects of the project
** Safe boarding facilities for commuters at bus stations with the height of the platform adjusted to 900mm unlike the standard low height
** Automatic doors for buses, electronic sensors at bus station and back-up power arrangement to ensure that the door operates in case of a power failure
** Safe convenient pedestrian road crossings at junctions, bus stops and at intermediate locations
** Safe access to bus stations
** Appropriate signaling system for movement of buses in central bus lanes
** Private vehicles should be prevented from entering bus lanes
** Safety measures at entry-exit of bus lanes as buses will run on the existing non-BRTS routes requiring them to merge-demerge with regular traffic