Over one lakh board BRTS buses everyday now in Ahmedabad

AHMEDABAD: More and more Amdavadis are giving thumbs up to the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS). With a daily passenger-load factor of over one lakh, the modern transport system is now generating revenue of Rs 6 lakh per day. According to a survey, even passengers from well-to-do families, who have till now avoided using BRTS and preferred their cars to travel, have switched over to BRTS. 



Officials of Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited (AJL), a special-purpose vehicle of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation ( AMC) for BRTS, said on an average the number of passengers using BRTS daily ranges from between 1.03 lakh and 1.05 lakh while the income generated is anywhere between Rs 6 lakh and 6.20 lakh per day. "After the extension of the 5.5 km stretch from Soni-ni-Chawl to Naroda crossroads, the income has increased by over Rs 1 lakh per day while the number of passengers has increased by around 15,000 per day. Also there is an increase in the number of passengers taking long routes," the officials added.

BRTS operations were formally launched on October 14, 2009. In the first month, the average passenger load was around 17,300 per day while the income was about Rs 81,000. But as the AJL began expanding the network, the passengers load started to increase. In the first week of December this year, for the first time per-day income from BRTS crossed Rs 6 lakh mark.

According to the survey, the number of passengers boarding BRTS drops considerably on Wednesdays, when industrial units are closed. The reason for this drop is BRTS gets no less than 20,000 passengers daily from this sector.

Officials said that the income from Kankaria bus station alone during Diwali was Rs 2,52,845. A senior officer said even well-to-do families now prefer to park their cars and board the BRTS bus for Kankaria. The trend was witnessed mainly on Sundays and holidays.

Read more: Over 1 lakh board BRTS buses everyday now - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Over-1-lakh-board-BRTS-buses-everyday-now/articleshow/7180969.cms#ixzz19TmA8zFx