HC calls for fresh study on feasibility of BRT corridor

“Are you (government) sure about the statement that the BRT corridor-users have a positive opinion about it? We think otherwise. We can ask for a fresh opinion poll if you have any doubt. The study being cited by you was carried out soon after the corridor was opened but we know the situation has changed since then,” Justice Sikri told government counsel Zubeda Begum.

The court asked the counsel to suggest names of organisations that could be asked to conduct a fresh study regarding feasibility and operation of the corridor.

However,Begum’s suggestion that the RITES along with the IIT could be put on the job was turned down by the bench,as it noted that the previous study was also conducted by them.

“We will not send it back to the RITES. They may want to justify the opinion already rendered by them in their previous report and,hence,we would want another expert body. We may ask the National Highways Authority of India or the Central Road Research Institute to carry out research on the issue,” said the bench,asking the counsel to come back to the court on Thursday with more names of expert bodies.

Earlier,Begum had argued that the Delhi government had,in pursuant to an apex court directive,resorted to the High Capacity Bus system and subsequently introduced the BRT corridor system in Delhi.

The court,however,rejected the study report adduced by her. The report,prepared in February 2009 — a few months after the corridor was launched in April 2008,had projected a rosy picture of the traffic situation on the corridor. it claimed that 25 per cent of the road space was taken up by buses,which serve more than 50 per cent of the commuters. As per the four year-old study,bus travel became much faster on the corridor due to the dedicated lanes.

Meanwhile,appearing for the petitioner NGO Nyayabhoomi,B B Sharan contended that the BRT corridor must be scrapped and should not be allowed to continue,considering it had miserably failed to serve its purpose and, in fact,created more issues. “The study over vehicular traffic was unreal and determined in accordance with the whims of certain officials,” he claimed.

The petition pointed out that there are over 73 lakh vehicles on Delhi roads,in comparison to 32,000 buses and,hence,for smooth traffic movement on the 5.7 km-long corridor between Ambedkar Nagar and Moolchand flyover,the government should not restrain vehicles other than buses from plying on the bus lane.

The petitioner said most of the time the bus lane remained free,while the other lanes,meant for cars and other vehicles,remained chaotic,resulting in jams for hours.