Pune BRTS Blunder

The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), which was launched with much fanfare ahead of the municipal elections in 2006, was indeed launched hastily as the Pune Municipal Corporation admitted that the integrated project report was not ready then. Citizens and civic activists had opposed the launch of the project, saying that it was being done in haste. However, their pleas fell on deaf ears. The IL & FS is putting all reports together. This will take another 12 months.PMC Commissioner Pardeshi also admitted that increasing the frequency of buses to five minutes on the BRTS route will be more dangerous for pedestrians. There are no under- and over-pass ways for pedestrians as of now. A huge amount of money is needed to create the same after every 400-500 metres. In foreign countries, the BRTS is successful as pedestrians don’t cross these routes. The municipal commissioner said that bicycle tracks are compulsory along the BRTS routes as the speed of vehicles here is much more. He, however, claimed that 95 per cent of the users of the BRTS are happy with the service and more buses will be added. He also told the house that the civic body was in the process of acquiring defence land for the Solapur track. Cutting across party lines, corporators grilled the administration over the encroachments and chaos on the Swargate-Katraj BRTS route. They alleged that the road was in a mess during peak hours and no traffic police or wardens are there to clear traffic jams.