Even as the official launch of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in the city inches closer, members of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) presented their suggestions.
Even as the official launch of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in the city inches closer, members of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) presented their suggestions for the improvement of the facilities of the ambitious project, to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).
These suggestions were presented during a meeting on ‘BRTS: Its impact on our city’ organised by the GCCI. Municipal commissioner IP Gautam was the chief guest the function, while Ahmedabad Mayor Kanaji Thakore and GCCI president Rupesh Shah were also present. Gautam briefed the audience on the benefits and planning of the BRTS project at the beginning of the function.
Dr Pravin Kanabar, a member of the Ahmedabad Traffic Consultative Committee, pointed out some points regarding the BRTS project, including the lack of pedestrian safety along the route, the planning of the BRTS corridor etc. “While two lanes of the nine-metre corridor have been kept for the BRTS buses, which will pass with a frequency of one every four minutes, there will only be three lanes on each side of the road for the thousands of vehicles. Will that be sufficient?” he said.
He said that the current pedestrian crossings were not safe and that the AMC should consider underground or overhead pedestrian space in order to provide a safe passage. Another important suggestion was that of drinking water facilities at the BRTS stations, for commuters and drivers.
“We follow the ‘park and ride’ norm. We are encouraging people to ride on the BRTS, but there are no proper facilities for commuters to park their vehicles. This will encourage chaos on the roadside,” Dr Kanabar said. He suggested parking facilities near malls, theatres and teaching institutes.
Other issues discussed at the meeting were those of encroachment and violations of traffic norms, which can be a hindrance. Gautam said that the encroachments would be removed with the aid of the traffic police department.
The meeting also pointed out a lack of readiness to tackle an emergency, the fact that the ramps to the BRTS stations were slippery and that the signage at the stations was not very user-friendly. Ways to improve traffic management were also discussed at the meeting.
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