Red buses, introduced to take care of transport needs of daily commuters, have turned into traffic nightmare. Due to their huge size, the red buses occupy a large portion of the road leaving little space for other vehicles. Besides, at turning points, these buses cause great inconvenience due to their large floor area, writes lokesh Malti Prakash
Despite several efforts by city authorities, including the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the district administration, traffic woes of Bhopalites continue. Ironically, sometimes the very steps taken by the authorities to ease traffic lead to an altogether different problem. An instance in this regard is the introduction of large red buses under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
Introduced to take care of transport needs of daily commuters, these buses have turned into a nightmare for traffic. Due to their huge size, the red buses occupy a large portion of the road leaving little space for other vehicles. Besides, at the turning points, these buses cause huge inconvenience due to their large floor area. The problem becomes acute, especially in the old city where roads are narrower and traffic is comparatively high.
The very sight of a red bus on the roads in the old city is sufficient to send a chill down the spines of even the most accomplished and daring drivers, especially if one is on a four-wheeler. At times, it is impossible to overtake these buses because of their sheer size. They do not leave any space for others to overtake them easily. Traffic movement comes to a virtual standstill.
"These buses might be useful in areas with wide roads and fewer vehicles, but here in the city (as old Bhopal is often called) they are like dinosaurs. The old city is usually more crowded and even the roads are narrow compared to other parts. Whenever a red bus is on the road, you can easily notice a long trail of vehicles behind it waiting to get some space to move ahead," said Shahid Hussain, a resident of the old city who runs his office inside the premises of Moti Masjid.
"Transport services are definitely required, but the authorities should have considered more options before introducing these large buses in a city like Bhopal. The problem is not peculiar to the old city. Even in the new city, these buses create traffic jams and the problem are really aggravated at turning points because these buses require a large area to turn. One wonders why the BMC did not choose small sized minibuses for the city," he added.
It is indeed a commonly shared perception that long traffic jams have become more frequent ever since these buses were introduced. The situation at Hamidia Road, Alpna T-junction, Bharat Talkies square, Bhopal Talkies square, Bus Stand square, Sindhi Colony square and many other areas in the old city are chronically affected by traffic jams. It is not an unusual sight to see hours-long jams in these areas. In fact, one is considered fortunate if the jam ends in half or quarter of an hour!
Of course, the situation outside the old city is not as bad, at least not as yet. But the question is for how longIJ The number of vehicles in the city is on the rise. Already, the traffic situation at many busy points of the new city takes a turn for the worse during peak hours. Slow traffic or even jams are part of daily story at Board Office square, No 10 market, New Market, Mata Mandir square, Habibganj under-bridge and at many other points.
Ashish, a student of law in Barakatullah University, said "the condition of traffic in Bhopal is gradually taking a turn for the worse as the number of vehicles on road is rapidly on the rise. An important issue is the increase in the number of private vehicles on the roads. Until and unless a viable means of transport, which is in tune with the infrastructure available in the city, is provided the crisis will not be solved."
"The role of traffic police is also a major factor that exacerbates the traffic woes caused by the red buses. No doubts the size of these buses is too large for running smoothly on narrow roads, yet, the absence of traffic police personnel from scenes of chaos is another major factor for the long duration of traffic jams especially in the old city," he further remarked.
Ironically, the JNNURM buses which were introduced in 2010 was given 'Award for Excellence in Urban Transport' in December 2012 as the public-private partnership (PPP) model used in running these low-floor buses was adjudged as the best partnership model of urban transport in the country.
At the same time, the introduction of BRTS (Bus Rapid Transport System), which the city authorities present as panacea for the traffic woes of the city, has yet to prove its efficacy. Recently, while inspecting the BRTS corridor, Urban Administration and Development Minister Babulal Gaur said the system would reduce pressure on the city's traffic. He also claimed that Bhopal's BRTS would of global standards which would provide better transport service for the commuters.
However, the point is that even if the BRTS proves as success as it is claimed, it would not solve the issue that has been discussed here. The BRTS covers a limited route of 24 kilometers stretch extending from Misrod to Bairagarh. The city buses would continue to ply on roads in heavily populated localities in the city. In short, the woes of Bhopalites are not going to end. At least not in the near future!