Bus Rapid Transit System
Introduction
Transport and motorable roads are becoming a primary cause of concern for the ever expanding cities along with issues like water and electricity. Delhi too, with the added pressure of the its satellite towns like Gurgoan, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad has to cater to millions of vehicles on a daily basis resulting huge traffic jams, pollution and waste of quality time for its citizens.
However, the city cannot continue to build more and more roads to cater to the rapidly increasing vehicular population. Instead what it needs is an efficient transit plan along with an organized, comfortable and reliable public transport system. It has been observed that the bus ridership has decreased by 17% over the last eight years where as the number of people travelling by cars and two-wheelers has increased by 3.6 and 4.3 percent respectively
Few realize that the key to smooth commuting in the future is a good public transportation system that offers better mobility, besides other social advantages like reducing congestion and air pollution. However, in order to attract a large number of commuters to buses, there is a need to offer good and comfortable service. BRT System plays an important role in a good public transport system.
Thus with a view to improve the public transport system in the city and encourage people to use it, The Govt. of NCT of Delhi introduced the BRT system in Delhi in 2004 under its Integrated Mass Transit Plan.
What does BRT mean? Bus Rapid Transit Corridor or BRT means giving right of way to buses and safeguarding cyclists and pedestrians by encouraging lane driving on engineered road spaces along large and wide corridors and link them to metros and other colony roads for easy access. Besides giving priority to buses, the system also provides dedicated lanes for pedestrian and non-motorized vehicles like cycles and rickshaws etc.
History
In 2004, GNCTD appointed RITES and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) for designing and implementing the first corridor from Dr. Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate. RITES was appointed the Project Management Consultant and TRIPP IIT Delhi the technical and conceptual advisors.
DIMTS Role
DIMTS is the Corridor Manager, operating and managing the existing corridor from Ambedkar Nagar-Delhi Gate.
As the Corridor Manager, DIMTS has to ensure the smooth operation and efficient maintenance of the corridor. This involves managing the traffic, enforcing lane discipline, reporting on incidents, liaising with the public and all else that helps in the steady flow of people and vehicles.
Twenty four CCTV cameras have been installed along with the Intelligent Signalling System at the 17 junctions of the BRT corridor. These cameras send live feeds of the BRT corridor to Operations Control Centre (OCC) at Kashmere Gate from where it is monitored. Regular monitoring schedules to track operational details have been put in place.
Apart from this road marshals guide bus passengers, help children and old people to cross the road, manage traffic, instruct people to follow traffic rules and perform other corridor management activities.
Current Status
Corridor I:
The first part of the 14.5 km long Ambedkar Nagar-Delhi Gate corridor which extends from Ambedkar Nagar to Moolchand (5.8 km) is operational as a BRT corridor. The remaining section from Moolchand to Delhi Gate is not functional as a BRT corridor.
Other BRT Corridors:
DIMTS has already submitted the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposed BRT corridor from Shastri Park to Karawal Nagar.
Apart from this DIMTS is also working on the feasibility report of seven more BRT corridors in Delhi. These are:
Gandhi Nagar – Chilla (10 km)
Mukundpur – Kondli (25.40 km)
Karkari More – Gokulpur (8:00 km)
Badarpur – Airport (25 km)
Mundka – Poothkhurd (18.90 km)
Daula Kuan – Chhawala (20.30 km)
Dilshad Garden – ISBT (8 km)
Awareness Building Efforts
There is a lot of negative publicity regarding the BRT corridor usually emerging from the lack of knowledge of the purpose of the system. The BRT corridor has been built to promote public transport in the city. The city cannot afford to build more roads, flyovers etc to cater to the burgeoning vehicular population. This would only lead to more congestion and pollution. While a bus may carry 50-60 passengers, a car will only carry maximum of four passengers.
Bus based infrastructure like the BRT corridor provide dedicated lanes for buses thus allowing them to travel faster and making them more reliable.
DIMTS carried out a number of public awareness campaigns to educate the people on the benefits of BRT corridor. These included workshops in schools and RWAs, distribution of literature on the signage, rules, bus stops and bus numbers etc.
RELATED LINKS
Other Projects Associated with the BRT corridor