Just as city based transport expert Sudhir Badami wrote a strong letter to the chief minister Prithviraj Chavan asking him to expedite the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in Mumbai, DNA has learnt from sources in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) that the authority is not at all interested in taking the project forward.
A highly placed source in the MMRDA told DNA that the authority has already written a letter to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) expressing its inability to go ahead with the project.
“The letter clearly says that if at all the project is to be implemented, it should be the responsibility of the BEST and BMC and not MMRDA. The authority has conducted some preliminary survey about the BRTS and submitted its recommendations to the two agencies,” said a senior authority official requesting anonymity.
A few days back, Badami had written a letter with strong words. The letter urged the CM, Chavan to follow his colleague in New Delhi (chief minister Sheila Dikshit) who has given a green signal for additional lines of BRTS in the capital.
“You are aware how aggressive the campaign against the BRTS was in Delhi. It is already the end of March and I have been trying to get an appointment to meet you for “setting right priorities for mumbai transportation” since the first week of January and have not been given permission. Either you have closed your mind on the BRTS issue or you are being misled by government experts,” says the letter.
Badami has attacked the chief minister by calling him insensitive towards the city of Mumbai. “I cannot visualise a chief minister who cannot be sensitive to the fact that there are 4,000 deaths occurring on Mumbai suburban railway system and when I place before you very viable quickly implement-able option to not only address this issue, but of issues of mobility, disaster preparedness, global warming and equity in society, you do not as much acknowledge by seeking some explanations from me,” continues the letter.
Interestingly, the newly appointed metropolitan commissioner Rahul Asthana, when asked about the delays in implementing the project used the same language that his predecessor — Ratnakar Gaikwad used to use.
“Though the project has seen success in other cities, Mumbai does not seem to be naturally suitable for projects such as the BRTS. Some people doubt the delays in implementation since the project costs are much lower compared to monorail and metro. However, why would the government not like to have a much cheaper project if it is viable,” opined Asthana.
He however, did not comment on the letter written by Badami to the chief minister.
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