That a large number of private vehicles caters to only 30 per cent of Delhi’s demand for transport, buses still account for 60 per cent. There can be no quarrel with the statement that one should create incentives for the use of public transport and disincentives for private transport, and one should not forget cheap small cars that will soon be available. Singapore and Japan are two countries where costs of private transport are inordinately high. But cost is a relative term and disincentives for private transport must be spliced with efficient public transport. One should not mix up this switch from private to public with decisions about what form that public transport should take.

Delhi is a test case for the BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System), because it is more visible and cities like Ahmedabad, Indore, Jaipur, Pune, Visakhapatnam and Bhopal are about to follow, with possible funding from Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. Learning or unlearning from Delhi is important. The Delhi experiment should also have been easier. At least 20 per cent of Delhi’s land area is under roads (per capita figure is lower), the highest in the country. Beijing has only 6 per cent. Delhi government spokespersons have told us the Metro will cost Rs 100 crore per km. The HCBS/BRTS will cost only Rs 10 crore per km, including rolling stock. If that is the case, cities throughout the world should be falling over backwards to choose BRTS. They don’t, so clearly the answer isn’t that obvious.

... contd.