Mumbai BRTS update

Commuters who were looking forward to the Bus Rapid Transit System(BRTS) slated to start operating on the two main highways in Mumbai, will have to wait for eight to 10 more months till the flyovers over the two roads are ready. According to MMRDA officials, the traffic police said that in order to have a proper traffic management system, it was necessary for the flyovers to be ready.The BRTS system is known worldwide as an efficient method of carrying commuters by bus through dedicated lanes on the road. It has been tried out in developing countries like Brazil and also developed countries like Australia and USA. The system is capable of carrying between 10,000 and 40,000 persons per direction every hour. MMRDA officials pointed out that on the Western Expressway, there is one flyover still under construction at Times Junction in Kandivli. The Eastern Expressway has four flyovers under construction at Ambedkar Marg. “Once these flyovers are ready, it will be possible to chalk out a detailed route for the BRTS,’’ they said.The BRTS system is being planned by the MMRDA but the execution and running will be done by the municipal corporation and the BEST. BRTS trials have already been carried out in the city. MMRDA commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad said they are making efforts to implement BRTS in a big way in Mumbai. “The planners will have to consider that this is a major project for the city. We are looking at dedicated lanes for buses and all this takes time. The highways are still not ready for the scheme. When we do start the scheme, it will be larger than the one in Delhi,’’ he said.