BKC bus lanes to get asphalt layer

A pothole is seen in a bus lane at Bandra Kurla Complex. (Photo: Shripad Naik )

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) plans to carry out repair work on the 7-km-long bus lanes at the Bandra-Kurla Complex. The decision was taken after the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) conveyed to the MMRDA that owing to paver blocks coming off, the average speed of buses had been hampered.

The MMRDA now plans to have an asphalt road with concrete in some parts of the bus lanes. “We are planning to add asphalt on the whole stretch of bus lanes and the work will be started in a few days,” said, Sanjay Khandare, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA.

The MMRDA had spent Rs 2 crore on the allocation of a 3.5-metre kerb-side bus lane from the MTNL junction to Kalanagar Junction, which was to be extended up to the ONGC building on the Western Express Highway (WEH) in the later stages. However, since the bus lanes were thrown open for use in April 2016, there have been problems such as illegal parking, and auto rickshaws and private vehicle owners plying on the same.

The MMRDA claimed that since the introduction of exclusive bus lanes at the BKC, the average travel time taken by buses has decreased by seven minutes; that is from the source to destination. “However, the bus schedule has gone for a toss as buses are reaching the designated bus stops before time. The BEST could have introduced more services on routes which have dedicated bus lanes,” an MMRDA official said.

The traffic police, MMRDA and BEST officials are engaged in ensuring the smooth functioning of the bus lanes to rid it of illegal parking and private vehicles.