Revival of controversial Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors seems to be on the anvil as lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Monday convened a high-level meeting of top officials, including Chief Secretary DM Spolia and Transport Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti.
Sources claimed that the first BRT corridor in the national Capital from Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate was a mess and now the present regime is keen to introduce eight projects. The detailed project reports are ready with the Transport Department.
Previous Congress-led Government had decided to do away with the project after it faced public ire as the BRT caused long traffic snarls, especially under the Chirag Dilli flyover. A set of Delhi Government officials had gone to Ahmedabad for studying the BRT corridor as it has solved the traffic woes of the congested city in Gujarat. The Ministry of Road and Surface Transport is also organising a workshop on BRT corridor in Delhi to highlight the salient features of Ahmedabad BRT corridor, which is considered the most successful model in the country.
Top sources told The Pioneer that lieutenant Governor has reviewed the existing BRT corridor projects. It was also decided that the PWD will maintain the existing BRT corridor between Moolchand and Delhi Gate. According to sources, it was also discussed that how to improvise the corridor in the context of Delhi in view of increasing volume of traffic and air pollution.
Implementing BRT across the city has been one of the key recommendations of the lieutenant Governor’s committee on air pollution. Allaying fears of congestion and traffic mess that the current BRT stretch has been accused of causing, a committee member said recently that it should be designed differently. Officials reportedly told Raj Niwas about success of BRT in Gujarat.
Sources said that the proposal was not scrapped and it was put on hold due to public and media outcry.
After promulgation of Presidents’ Rule in Delhi, the Transport Department has moved a proposal to know about the future of BRT corridor projects in Delhi as crores of rupees have been spent on its detailed project reports. The Transport Department officials are pushing to go ahead with more BRT corridors.
Top sources told The Pioneer that the Government is planning to revive the controversial BRT corridor project in Delhi. It is also planning to go ahead with the other 14 BRT corridor projects that include corridors from Narela to Azadpur (15 km), ISBT Anand Vihar to Connaught Place (11 km), ISBT Kashmere Gate to Tikri Border, Mundka (26.5 km), Mukundpur to Palam More (29 km), Sarai Kale Khan to Jorbagh (6 km) and National Stadium to Ghazipur (13.20 km). Besides this, the Kirby Place to Tilak Nagar (4.30 km) section would be executed by Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The detailed project report for this corridor has already been prepared. A detailed presentation is expected to be given before lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on June 20. The final decision on future of BRT corridor is expected to be taken by Jung at this meeting.
The existing BRT corridor from Ambedkar Nagar to Moolchand is being maintained by the Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System (DIMTS). It is noted that RITES had suggested 15 BRT corridors of 233.5 kilometre length for Delhi to streamline its public transport system. Following this report, the Delhi Government had assigned seven BRT corridors to DIMTS and gave the remaining seven to the PWD. Following a court case and controversy related to the Ambedkar Nagar to Moolchand BRT corridor, the construction of the 14 corridors was put on hold. Just a week ahead of the Assembly polls in December last year, then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had promised to scrap it if Congress retained power in the December 4 elections. The Delhi BJP has also been demanding scrapping of the BRT corridor and said that it will dismantle it if voted to power.