BRT – II

I did not get a chance to respond to the anonymous comment – mainly because I was busy and then I was patting my back for writing so well, that legions of readers are now attracted to my blog and one has left a comment!

Okay, just kidding. The anonymous comment brings out some points of success of the BRT in Mexico City, but unfortunately, does not answer any of the questions posed or issues raised. I will not be very satisfied with the analogy that just because of worked for Mexico City and it also is working well for Bogotá by the way, it will also work for Pune.

BRT has already killed one person – the construction has barricaded some lanes on Satara Road and a tempo and a motorcyclist thought they could defy laws of physics and be in one place at the same time resulting in to a crash that was fatal to the motorcyclist. Okay, so it is BRT’s fault but I fear there will be a few more such incidences and I do say that with some asperity because our traffic sense is going from bad to worse to worst and then some more and our sense of planning at construction sites is also going from bad to worse...you get the point....

A few civic bodies are now asking how both the BRT and our dream of flyovers are going to fit together. Many others are asking would the ability to carry about 15,000 passengers in one direction in BRT be sufficient today and would it be sufficient in next five years. And that is just looking at five years not any farther than that. Now some civic authority (something to do with road transportation, I am sorry, but I do not remember who) is threatening the stop BRT right in its tracks because some prior approvals are pending. Is it just a start of the hardships? Anyone, remember how long the construction of the flyover on Ganeshkind Road has been going on now? Whose purse is the cost of that delayed project coming from? No one seems to be interested in an open debate before the project goes open. It is this that pains me more than the utility of the BRT. Sigh.

Dear Anonymous, if you happen to wander over hither again, will you please elucidate your views more?