Stakeholders DULT, BMTC, BDA and consultants RITES, iDECK will meet next week to review the revised proposal for the pilot Bus Rapid Transit System in Bengaluru.
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Come February 16th and it will be a crucial day for the first Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) proposal for Bangalore. Karnataka's Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) has called for a meeting of the BDA, BMTC, Rail India Technical and Economic Society (RITES) and Infrastructure Development Corporation ( Karnataka) Limited (iDECK) on that day to discuss the BRTS proposal.
Mohammad Mohsin, Member Convenor, Bangalore Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) and Director, Urban Land Transport, says that the meeting is being held to review the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Hebbal-Central Silk Board sector. A DPR is a base document for planning a project and implementing it. It includes technical specifications, schedule plan, investment decision-making and so on.
The BRTS along the Outer Ring Road (ORR) between Central Silk Board and Hebbal junctions is a 29.6 km stretch and will be taken up as the first project after Cabinet approval. Mohsin says that project will cost approximately Rs 15 crores per kilometre.
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BMLTA, DULT, BDA, RITES, iDECK not pushing Local Train / CRS
With good BMTC bus services compared to other cities like Delhi, Pune, with BRTS and BMTC road transport within city will further improve. As lakhss of citizens are traveling in over crowded BMTC buses during peak time, this should help to certain extent.
Why our Authorities, State Govt & Center are not pushing the Commuter Rail System ( CRS ) / Local Train for Bangalore city. As BRTS on the Hebbal to Central Silk Board Junction will require huge amount of Rs 450 Crore and this will take minimum 6-12 months to get the things in place before actual start.
When Center & State are ready to spend huge amount of Rs 2500 Crore from their part on HSRL with Private participation, what wrong with all these authorities BMLTA, DULT, BDA, RITES, iDECK to push the CRS with initial budget sanction say Rs 100 Crore to get the CRS start. As all Metros & even Hyderabad, Pune ( not even capital of state ), Patna to near by places, in Kerala all these places are having Local / DMU Train services without any hard struggle.
Its not that State or Center are not willing to spend money on the Transport Infrastructure, they are spending thru' JNRUM, Viability Gap Funding ( VGF ) 20% by Center for any Urban Transport , Special Purpose Vechile ( SPV ) by State & Center. Its really high time for Bangalore city to have Commter Rail System ( CRS ).
I feel the problem is : As all sections of Section Citizens look Bangalore as Modern IT city, which will require only Hi-Tech Solutions, like HSRL, METRO, BRTS , Volvo Buses with Air Conditions in all modes of Transport.
One day Bangalore will earn the Distinction of having Expensive Urban Transport system in the World.
BRT on east ORR - At least a start
Well, finally we are moving ahead with BRT & according it due recognition as a means of fast mass transport.
Though east ORR is being made a freeway, & freeways do not really need separate bus lanes, this experiment can provide valuable lessons when other corridors are taken up. It might also help spurt more interest for such bus-exclusive corridors within the city, which is what is needed.
Signal free as well as BRT?
If both plans are going ahead, and we are in for a wasted experiment. Whats the point of BRT if my car or bike can keep pace or beat the bus on speed? Why not work to do BRT on a Big10 corridor instead?
Nevertheless, I guess we will take this if it happens, a start at least, and will lead to development of some standards around BRT
All the buses should keep pace..
We have fast moving Volvo and slow moving Janti. Volvos overtake Trailer buses in the current setup since all 2/3 lanes available. If BRT is introduced, all the buses should be having the same pace. One bus overtaking other is not possible.
The new JNNURM low floor buses run with good pace. They should be employed here and they should maintain a minimum 50kph speed and should be able to go at 70 kph in stretches where Volvos maintain 70kph.
BRT on ORR
Judging by the drawings for flyovers along ORR, I think the idea is to have exclusive bus lanes in the middle. Wonder how they will manage the lanes in way of underpasses (Hennur rd, Ramamurthy ngr, Marathalli, etc) - buses will have to exit lanes & move to the sides to facilitate bus halts closest to intersections. If bus halts are planned at sub-level at underpasses, it would be inviting problems such as safety of passengers & also the need for passengers to ascend /descend to the lower level.
Vasanth makes a valid point about standardized buses in the bus lanes. Mixing all types of buses (slow /fast) will never work. Only buses of one type or ones that can mainatin pace equally need to be used.
Can same be done on IRR
IRR which gets congested even being so wide is also a candidate along with the inner circle proposed.