A bus rapid transit (BRT) system involves the creation of dedicated corridors across a city for high speed bus networks that aim to reduce traffic congestion and increase the number of commuters using buses. The corridors are used exclusively by buses, with terminals and ticketing stations located along existing high-traffic routes. According to global standards, a BRT system puts buses on the fast lane and has features such as platform-level boarding and off-board ticketing to reduce the time taken to board and deboard by almost 80 per cent. Further, BRT vehicles are fitted with traffic vehicle priority sensors at junctions and get preference over other modes of transport. In India, BRT systems have been implemented in Surat, Pune, Indore, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bhopal, Jaipur, Naya Raipur, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Hubli Dharwad and Rajkot and the operational network increased from 30 km in 2009 to about 400 km by mid-2019.
Favourable cost economics
The BRT system is cost efficient versus other modes of public transport. According to the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), Rs 15 billion is required to create a 67 km world-class BRT corridor, while the funds would set up only a 5 km metro rail stretch or a 6.7 km monorail stretch. Most of the major cities can no longer afford to build more roads, whether in the form of flyovers or road expansions. An elevated two-lane flyover can carry 2,400 people per hour in each direction and costs over Rs 2 billion per kilometre. In contrast, a BRT system can carry anywhere between 10,000 and 40,000 people per hour in each direction at a cost of about Rs 200 million per km, a tenth of the cost of a flyover.
The BRT system: A failure?
Even though the BRT network has expanded considerably over the years and is planned to be expanded further, the system has not been very successful in India. For instance, the Delhi BRT was dismantled in 2016 owing to poor planning, low frequency and poor connectivity. Besides, the BRT systems in Surat, Bhopal and Indore have also failed to meet their core objectives of increasing public transport users and reducing the number of road accidents.
The Pune BRT, which was launched in 2006, envisaged the implementation of a high quality public transport system to offset the rising ve-hicular traffic. However, much to the dismay of commuters, the project soon began facing major roadblocks. Power cuts, a shortage of buses, and poor planning and monitoring by civic authorities have been cited as some of the major challenges plaguing the BRT system. In fact, recently, some of the BRT corridors were opened for all vehicles as they failed to serve their purpose. Janmarg (Ahmedabad BRT) started operations in 2009, and has grown from 12 km to 88 km. From its initial days, passenger numbers have increased from 18,000 to nearly 150,000 people per day. Despite setting a national benchmark, the BRT failed to achieve its full potential. Ridership has remained stagnant and enforcement of bus lanes is weak in some areas.
Proposed corridors
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation is currently in the process of carrying out preliminary works for expanding and modernising the existing BRT networks in the respective cities. The Indore Municipal Corporation has proposed the development of another 14 km BRT system on the Super Corridor in the city. Besides, feasibility study and detailed project report preparation is under way for the recently announced BRT projects in Hyderabad (18 km) and Chennai (120 km). Meanwhile, the Delhi government has proposed the revival of the BRT system in the city by introducing an express bus service (also called BRT 2.0) from Karawal Nagar to the Mori Gate bus terminal, covering a distance of 15 km.
Outlook
While there is optimism about BRT systems, the example of cities such as Pune must serve as a cautionary tale. Launched 12 years ago, the Pune BRT system faces a shortage of buses, poor maintenance of corridors, digital signal boards and automatic doors, poor monitoring of signals and increasing operational costs. Measures such as proper planning, deployment of advanced technologies, adequate financing, strict traffic vigilance, effective coordination among stakeholders, proper connectivity to bus stations, etc., are required to be taken to effectively help in converting the failed BRT model to an efficient and reliable mode of public transport.