The estimates committee of the state legislature has expressed possibility of irregularities and illegalities in implementation of the BRTS in the city, and ordered a comprehensive inquiry
The estimates committee of the state legislature has expressed possibility of irregularities and illegalities in implementation of the bus rapid transit system (BRTS) project in the city, and ordered a comprehensive inquiry to ferret out those responsible and to take action against them.
President of non-governmental organisation Nagarik Chetana Manch (NCM), Major General (retd) SCN Jatar, secured a copy of the report of the committee through the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The committee had visited the city 6 months ago and the report was later tabled in the legislative assembly.
It has observed that the possibility of irregularities and illegalities in the BRTS project implementation cannot be ruled out, considering the expenditure incurred and the poor standard of work. Stating that the project should be executed to make it convenient and profitable to the public, the committee has demanded that it be informed expeditiously of the action taken in this matter.
The BRTS pilot project was put in practice in the city on the 17-km Katraj-Swargate-Hadapsar route under the Jawaharlal Nehru national urban renewal mission (JNNURM). The Central government approved the project for Phases I and II at a cost of Rs103.35 crore, and accordingly work on it commenced in August 2006.
The committee noted that although taken up as a pilot project, work was done without prior planning for the number of commuters, precise locations for vehicle parking, bus stops at convenient places and the difficulty of space in the Cantonment area.
It said that due to lack of planning, the inconvenience to the public increased, rather than give any advantage to them. It was expected that the project would reduce the troubles to the public by streamlining traffic and avoiding accidents. However, a number of citizens lost their lives due to traffic congestion.
It said that due to the reasons of low quality work on bus stops, faulty traffic signals, fixing cracked tiles, broken cables on the roads by the side of bus stops and digging up of roads there was increased irritation to citizens. Hence, there was tremendous public opposition to the project.
It said that there was no substance in the rosy picture painted by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) of work on the pilot project. The PMC had claimed reduction in travel time and increase in the number of commuters, and reduction in the number of
accidents.
The committee report states, “Actually, there is contradiction in it.”
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}