KING OF THE ROAD : BRTS Ahmedabad

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	March 08, 2010
KING OF THE ROAD
BRTS has put Ahmedabad at par with cities like Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Bogota, Santiago, Lima, Beijing, Taipei and Hanoi, where buses are a hit with the masses
Kumar Manish | TNN It was said about this city's bus service that people set their watches according to the Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service's (AMTS) big red bus. But that was decades ago. The city grew to have the largest density of twowheelers in the country in year 2006 and brought with it the problems of congestion and pollution. Over the last few days there has been a revolution – the red bus has gone green, and how. Within five months, the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), popularly called Janmarg, has created space in the city's travel system and people's hearts. The 18.7-kilometre long BRTS corridor starting from RTO, a transport hub in western side of city to Kankaria Lakefront, a major entertainment zone in heart of the city has entered the world's imagination as a sustainable mode of transport. The metallic silver coloured BRTS promises high quality public transport system that offers fast, comfortable and low cost urban mobility. Conceptualised four years back by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) in association with CEPT University, Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited (AJL) was formed as a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to govern the BRTS operations in city. It was taken up as a project under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) by the ministry of urban development at the centre. The project has major financial support from the Centre which has given about 35 per cent of the funding and the rest is shared by the Gujarat government and the AMC. Last month, the BRTS won the 'Best Sustainable Transport System in the world' at the 2010 Sustainable Transport Award in Washington, a first for a south Asian country. The Centre too recognised it as best among mass rapid transit (MRT) system in the country. Enrique Penalosa, president of Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and former Bogota mayor, visited the city last year to get a feel of the BRTS, which also drew from the Bogota model of mass transport. Right from the concept to the unique marketing strategy of free rides in the first three months, the BRTS has been different. Ahmedabad has now joined Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Bogota, Santiago, Lima, Beijing, Taipei and Hanoi, where BRTS buses have been running and proved a hit with the masses. Ahmedabad municipal commissioner, IP Gautam said, "Janmarg provides world class service, matching up with any BRTS service running in all major world cities. The Janmarg has bridged the gap between eastern and western parts of the city." Stressing on sustainability, Gautam added, "BRTS has also ensured clean environment and is already attracting attention from across the globe. BRTS is still evolving and newer features will be added to popularise the service." Recently on a visit to Ahmedabad, Sunita Narain, member of the Supreme Courtappointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) panel, took a ride on a BRTS bus and was impressed. She said, "Janmarg is a vision for the future of all Indian cities,". The Ahmedabad service is modelled on Rede Integrada de Transporte, the world's first bus rapid transit system, started in 1974 in the industrial city of Curitiba in Brazil. AJL too has an integrated policy for pedestrians, dedicated cyclefriendly tracks and affordable mass transit system. Much needs to be done, however, for the cycle track, which is not contiguous and is heavily encroached. This track is an integral part of the BRTS system, meant to service the eight lakh odd cycle users in the city.
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