MUMBAI: Bus rapid transit systems have been implemented in cities across Latin America as low-cost public transport projects. In India, they have been introduced in Ahmedabad and Delhi and are being considered for several other cities.
Transport experts say a BRTS is much easier to implement than Metrorail or monorail projects, as dedicated bus lanes do not need special infrastructure and can operate on existing roads. The only problem is ensuring traffic discipline as private vehicles can always cut lanes.
In Delhi, for example, "there is a tendency for other vehicles to cross over into the special bus lane, disrupting the flow of our buses", said an official from Delhi BRTS. "This became a major problem when the system was launched three years ago. The project was postponed and re-launched with steps to ensure that the bus lanes remained free."
Ahmedabad BRTS was a different story. The project was launched after extensive research and trials. The segregated bus lanes were kept free of private vehicles with the help of the traffic police. The project is being considered for expansion and is also a model for other cities.
Transport expert Arun Mokashi said that in Mumbai's context, keeping special bus lanes clear of trespassing will be a challenge. "An attempt to separate bus lanes in the city was made in the 1970s, but it failed. The authorities must keep this experience in mind before starting with a BRTS project."
Corporators in Mumbai want senior bureaucrats in the MMRDA and BEST to go to Ahmedabad and study its BRTS model. Corporator Dilip Patel, on the government's plans to send MMRDA and BEST officials to cities like Istanbul, Mexico City, Curitiba, Sao Paolo and Bogota to study their BRTS models, said: "Why spend lakhs on foreign trips when one can learn the same things in one's own country?"
Source: Indian traffic sense comes in way of bus lanes - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Indian-traffic-sense-comes-in-way-of-bus-lanes/articleshow/7394077.cms#ixzz1Cam9e7Lk
Transport experts say a BRTS is much easier to implement than Metrorail or monorail projects, as dedicated bus lanes do not need special infrastructure and can operate on existing roads. The only problem is ensuring traffic discipline as private vehicles can always cut lanes.
In Delhi, for example, "there is a tendency for other vehicles to cross over into the special bus lane, disrupting the flow of our buses", said an official from Delhi BRTS. "This became a major problem when the system was launched three years ago. The project was postponed and re-launched with steps to ensure that the bus lanes remained free."
Ahmedabad BRTS was a different story. The project was launched after extensive research and trials. The segregated bus lanes were kept free of private vehicles with the help of the traffic police. The project is being considered for expansion and is also a model for other cities.
Transport expert Arun Mokashi said that in Mumbai's context, keeping special bus lanes clear of trespassing will be a challenge. "An attempt to separate bus lanes in the city was made in the 1970s, but it failed. The authorities must keep this experience in mind before starting with a BRTS project."
Corporators in Mumbai want senior bureaucrats in the MMRDA and BEST to go to Ahmedabad and study its BRTS model. Corporator Dilip Patel, on the government's plans to send MMRDA and BEST officials to cities like Istanbul, Mexico City, Curitiba, Sao Paolo and Bogota to study their BRTS models, said: "Why spend lakhs on foreign trips when one can learn the same things in one's own country?"
Source: Indian traffic sense comes in way of bus lanes - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Indian-traffic-sense-comes-in-way-of-bus-lanes/articleshow/7394077.cms#ixzz1Cam9e7Lk
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