Delhi HC opens BRT for now
6 July 2012 5:19 AM GMT
Despite the setback received in the Delhi high court, the Delhi government may not yet call it quits its plans to introduce BRT corridors across the city. According to the transport department officials, the government will take a call on the matter after going through the high court order.
On Thursday, the court directed, till it issues a final order, the transport department of the city to retain an arrangement that would allow plying of all vehicles in the lane reserved as the bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor. The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) had started a trial run in May on the BRT corridor, in which lanes meant exclusively for public transport vehicles were opened for private vehicles. The division bench of the acting chief justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai asked the government to allow all vehicles to ply on the BRT corridor till it passes an order on a public interest litigation that sought opening of the corridor to all vehicles for smooth traffic movement. 'Let it be re-opened. The transport department is directed to continue with the same arrangement which was made during the trial run,' said the bench.
The government agency Delhi Integrated Multi-Nodal Agency (DIMTS) has, however, in its report slammed the CRRI for suggesting temporary solutions and not taking cognizance of the future traffic scenario. 'The CRRI is silent on the adverse impact removal of exclusive bus lanes have on the public transport initiative. It fails to suggest whether the city can sustain itself with the current growth of private vehciles,' a DIMTS official said.
The court had earlier directed the CRRI to undertake a study on making the BRT corridor between Ambedkar Nagar and Moolchand hassle-free for traffic. The trial run was conducted from 8 to 16 May, and after the CRRI submitted an interim report, the court left it to the CRRI to decide if the trial run should be continued, as it had facilitated smoother flow of traffic. The CRRI official present in the court on Thursday informed the court that 'during the trial run, traffic was smoother than the earlier arrangement.'
The CRRI will submit its final report on 12 July.
On Thursday, the court directed, till it issues a final order, the transport department of the city to retain an arrangement that would allow plying of all vehicles in the lane reserved as the bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor. The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) had started a trial run in May on the BRT corridor, in which lanes meant exclusively for public transport vehicles were opened for private vehicles. The division bench of the acting chief justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai asked the government to allow all vehicles to ply on the BRT corridor till it passes an order on a public interest litigation that sought opening of the corridor to all vehicles for smooth traffic movement. 'Let it be re-opened. The transport department is directed to continue with the same arrangement which was made during the trial run,' said the bench.
The government agency Delhi Integrated Multi-Nodal Agency (DIMTS) has, however, in its report slammed the CRRI for suggesting temporary solutions and not taking cognizance of the future traffic scenario. 'The CRRI is silent on the adverse impact removal of exclusive bus lanes have on the public transport initiative. It fails to suggest whether the city can sustain itself with the current growth of private vehciles,' a DIMTS official said.
The court had earlier directed the CRRI to undertake a study on making the BRT corridor between Ambedkar Nagar and Moolchand hassle-free for traffic. The trial run was conducted from 8 to 16 May, and after the CRRI submitted an interim report, the court left it to the CRRI to decide if the trial run should be continued, as it had facilitated smoother flow of traffic. The CRRI official present in the court on Thursday informed the court that 'during the trial run, traffic was smoother than the earlier arrangement.'
The CRRI will submit its final report on 12 July.
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