Today I got my first chance to experience the feel of Bus Rapid Transit System. BRTS is the totally new concept in India, as we are used to the traditional means for public transit. As BRTS has been successfully tested in many other countries, the ever increasing need for urban mass transit mobility is now being addressed by following the best practices in the world. BRTS has been implemented in India under The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) which encourages reforms and planned development in more than 50 cities in India.
Now the government is concerned about public safety and also the pollution and traffic problems. So this new System of urban public transport which is safe, versatile, flexible and economic is gaining ground. The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) also known as the High Capacity Bus System (HCBS), is increasingly being adopted in India.
BRTS proposals are in various stages of appraisal and implementation in many cities and at the same time BRTS has been implemented successfully in few Indian cities which includes Ahmedabad, Pune, Bhopal, Delhi, Jaipur etc. Also few days back Ahmedabad’s Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) was awarded the best ‘Mass Rapid Transit’ (MRT) project in the country. The award is announced by former secretary of the Union urban transport department Anil Baijlal. And the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presented the award at Vigyan Bhavan to Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited (AJL) for running the best MRT.
What is BRTS?
Bus rapid transit (BRT) is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems that use buses to provide a service that is of a higher speed than an ordinary bus line. Normally it is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling. The main aim of this system is to approach the service quality of rail transit while still enjoying the cost savings of bus transit.
A number of cities in India have BRT Systems. Pune was the first city in India to have an operational BRT.
- Pune: Pune BRTS; 1 corridor (Katraj – Swargate – Hadapsar)
- Delhi: Delhi BRTS; 1 corridor and 1 more planned
- Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad BRTS; 1 corridor and 17 more under construction
- Indore: Indore BRTS; 1 corridor
- Goa: Skybus Metro; 1 corridor
- Mumbai: Mumbai BRTS;7(none are grade or lane segregated)