PCMC takes BRTS route

The comprehensive mobility plan for Pimpri-Chinchwad has recommended that the municipal corporation should implement Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) on eight main routes and develop four feeder routes by the year 2011 and later go in for mass transportation projects like the metro rail, which is also being planned by the Pune Municipal Corporation. The mobility plan, which will soon be submitted to the Union government, has suggested that the municipal corporation will have to form a special purpose vehicle for implementation of BRTS costing over Rs 1,500 crore. The recommendations in the mobility plan have been made based on an estimate that Pimpri-Chinchwad’s population will increase to over 29 lakh by 2031. As per Union government’s directives, the PCMC’s comprehensive mobility plan has been integrated with the PMC’s mobility plan. Municipal commissioner Ashish Sharma said that the comprehensive mobility plan was approved at a meeting held early this week.While the PCMC has already got sanction from the Union government for two BRTS routes under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, the corporation will now seek financial help for the remaining six routes. The proposed eight routes will cover a distance of 91 kms. The mobility plan has suggested that BRTS should be implemented before 2011, and only on roads which have a width of 45 metres and 61 metres. The proposed routes that have been suggested include Aundh to Ravet, Nigdi to Dapodi, Telco road in MIDC area, Dehu and Alandi, Nashik road stretch, Hinjewadi to Talawade Infotech Park, and Pune to Alandi. The four feeder routes that have been proposed include Hinjewadi to Tata Motors, Ravet to Bajaj to Talawade, Pradhikaran spine road, and the road parallel to Aundh-Ravet road. The mobility plan has pointed out that the city’s further expansion will be in the north south direction — towards Mula river in the South and towards Chakan at the North. The expansion towards Chakan side will be due to the development of the international airport, the report says. The mobility plan has recommended that the PCMC should develop more roads in the north-south direction. The plan points out that BRTS should be financially self-sufficient and that it should be implemented with all the state of-the-art features, such as semi-low floor buses, bus terminals with modern public information, and ticketing systems in place. The plan has also suggested revenue models by which BRTS can be financially self-sufficient. The report has also given suggestions for improving traffic mobility at all major traffic junctions. Crisil Risk and Infrastructure Solutions, which conducted the survey for the PCMC, had conducted an elaborate survey of the existing traffic, as well as surveyed 5,000 households to get data regarding the number of trips and use of main roads in the city.