Open house: What steps should authorities take to make brts operational and viable?

Reassessment of the design required

The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) project in Amritsar was compromised from its inception due to a flawed design that prioritised short-term gains over long-term viability. The decision to narrow the dedicated corridor on Mall Road, aimed at appeasing local shopkeepers, significantly impacted the project’s effectiveness. As a result, the service was asymmetrical, with buses only travelling from Celebration Mall to Kacheri Chowk and not in reverse. This design flaw doomed the project to failure, making it unable to provide a reliable and efficient public transportation system for the city’s residents. The shortcomings of this project can largely be attributed to political considerations that overshadowed the needs of the general public. Instead of focusing on creating a sustainable and effective public transport system, the emphasis was placed on satisfying specific interest groups. To rectify this situation, a comprehensive reassessment of the design and implementation of the BRTS project is essential. This should include conducting detailed feasibility studies, engaging local stakeholders to understand their needs and designing a system that benefits the broader public. Only by adopting a more inclusive and long-term approach can BRTS become a reliable and functional transportation system for Amritsar’s residents.

Indu Aurora

Hand over project to private players

The BRTS designed to provide smooth mass transportation with dedicated routes free from traffic congestion, has been mired in controversy since its inception. While similar systems are thriving in other parts of the country, its operation in the holy city of Amritsar remains a mystery. Hundreds of buses have been left idle, turning into junk due to political apathy, causing significant financial losses to the government while also inconveniencing the public. Successive state governments have failed to make the system operational, citing technical reasons. It is clear that the local transport mafia and political interests are at the heart of this failure. The local government and Municipal Corporation have repeatedly failed to revive this essential service. A possible solution to this problem could be to hand over the management of the BRTS to private players or implement a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. This would not only save the high-end buses from being scrapped but also provide a reliable service for commuters, addressing their daily transportation woes.

Avneet Singh

Lack of action and oversight

The ambitious BRTS project, which was intended to ease the transportation burden by providing dedicated bus routes, has unfortunately turned into an accident-prone disaster in many areas. This situation is further exacerbated by the indifference of traffic police, who often turn a blind eye to violations. Numerous fatal road accidents have occurred along the BRTS corridor, with unruly youth using it as a racing track, putting both their lives and others in danger. Despite this, BRTS buses remained the only reliable form of public transportation in the city, providing daily relief to hundreds of commuters. Unfortunately, the apathy of the government has resulted in a failure to achieve the desired outcomes for the project. The BRTS could have been a successful solution for Amritsar’s transport challenges, but it is clear that the lack of action and oversight has allowed it to fall short of its potential.

Anil Vinayak

AAP LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO Act

For BRTS to be operational and viable, the key factor lies in the leadership’s willpower. The AAP leadership needs to take decisive action by hiring expert drivers and consulting with transportation experts to revive the BRTS system. As the summer season approaches, the longer the delay in restoring buses, the greater the discontent among daily commuters will become. Immediate action is needed to restore this vital public service and prevent further inconvenience to the residents of Amritsar.

Vijay Kumar

Authorities need to focus on planning

To make a public bus service operational and viable, cities and transport authorities need to focus on planning, funding, efficiency and user adoption. Authorities should conduct demand analysis and identify high-traffic corridors, commuter patterns and underserved areas using surveys, GPS data or census reports. It should optimise routes to minimise overlaps, reduce empty runs and ensure coverage of key destinations (hospitals, schools, business districts)

Prof Sandeep Kumar Sharma

Real-time tracking required

Low ridership is key reasons for the failure of BRTS. Authorities should target marketing, fare discounts, improved service quality. High-capacity BRT system with dedicated lanes and prepaid boarding is the need of the hour. Contactless payments, real-time tracking and congestion pricing to boost bus use should be implemented. Use of smart cards, and women’s safety initiatives should be preferred. By following these steps, a public bus service can become operational quickly, financially sustainable, and widely adopted by citizens. The key is balancing cost-efficiency with passenger convenience and safety.

Monica Sharma

Urgent need for proper regulation

The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in Amritsar, launched during the Badal regime, initially faced challenges but later became a vital, affordable commuting option. However, the current government discontinued it, forcing many to quit jobs and unaffordable alternative public transport for passengers. Despite public demand, the service remains suspended, while over 90 buses lie idle. Flawed design choices, political interference, mismanagement and a lack of foresight are seen as major causes of its failure. BRTS corridors have become accident-prone due to reckless usage, highlighting the urgent need for proper regulation and revival of the only public transport lifeline the city had.

Sukhman Kaur Aulakh

Need to hire expert drivers

To make the BRTS operational and viable, the key factor is the willpower of AAP leaders. They must hire skilled drivers and consult with experts to restore the service to the roads. With the summer season now underway, any further delay in reinstating the buses will only increase discontent among daily commuters. Immediate action is crucial to address their growing frustration.

SANJAY CHAWLA

Add more routes to the project

Until and unless the government regulates the auto rickshaws and e-rickshaws, the BRTS project can never be viable. The huge number of auto rickshaws are the bane of the holy city but also they are easily available to the commuters to their destinations. On the other hand, the BRTS buses are limited and are currently plying on limited routes. The government should formulate a policy for regulating auto-rickshaws and E-rickshaws in addition to adding more routes to the project make it viable. Earlier, the city bus service had met the same fate. The buses become redundant and turn to junk with time.

Dr Jagdeep Singh

Over bridges should have lift facility

If we look at the project, initially it was disastrous for the city because all the routes were dug and it became a bane for the residents. Historic trees were axed without thinking regarding their environmental relevance. Then later when the project became operational, it proved to be a blessing but at last it has the same fate as that of city bus service. Railings were broken and stolen. One of the reasons was that it was difficult for pedestrians to cross the road. The government must involve the stakeholders in introducing any such projects. Over bridges should have lift facility as proposed in the Amritsar smart city.

Raj Kumar Aggarwal

Issue At Hand

The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in Amritsar, launched in 2016 with an investment of around Rs 550 crore, has faced significant challenges. Initially designed to provide an efficient, affordable public transport option, the project has struggled with operational and financial issues. The BRTS saw a peak ridership of 80,000 passengers during the free-ride period, but numbers dropped sharply to 15-16K after fares were introduced, highlighting a lack of sustained public interest and poor planning.

Question for next week

While the government has started demolishing properties of drug peddlers, Governor Gulab Chand Kataria has embarked upon a six-day ‘Padyatra against drugs’, holding interactive sessions with schoolchildren and Village Defence Committees that were constituted to assist the police and the BSF in a war against drug trafficking. What other steps are required to curb the drug menace?

Suggestions in not more than 150 words with passport size photograph can be sent to amritsardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (April 10)

Amritsar