Delhi to get New Busway

Posted: 01 Jun 2002

Related to: BRT in India, Developing High-Quality, Low-Cost Mass Transit, India
Contributed by: Walter Hook, ITDP

In January, Delhi, India finally gave the go-ahead to the much-delayed 20-kilometer pilot bus rapid transit line on the inner ring road. The announcement was made by Delhi Transport Minister Ajay Maken during an international workshop on High-Capacity Bus Systems hosted by the India Institute of Technology (IIT-Delhi), the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the Delhi Transport Corporation, and Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation. The conference also featured inputs from former Mayor of Bogotá Enrique Peñalosa, sponsored by ITDP, the force behind the creation of their successful TransMilenio bus system.

The need for higher quality bus systems, though, is an issue most now agree upon. The international workshop also drew interest from other Indian cities such as Bangalore and Chandigarh. Bangalore, in fact, has long been working towards a bus rapid transit system of its own.

Another city, Hyderabad, is currently developing a range of sustainable transport projects, which include bus transit improvements, under an initiative supported by the US Agency for International Development.

Meanwhile the first section of Delhi’s new Metro system is scheduled to open soon. At $100 million per kilometer, the metro is not something that can affordably be extended over Delhi’s vast urban landscape. Current estimates project that fares will only recover less than 15% of the metro’s operating costs. Faced with such a crushing price tag, Municipal Officials are looking to Bus Rapid Transit as a lower-cost alternative.

Designs for the BRT busway have been completed for some time. One of the principal designers, Geetam Tiwari of IIT-Delhi, notes that, “The basic changes required in the present road system in Delhi for High Capacity Bus Systems include provision of a segregated lane for slow-moving vehicles (bicycles and rickshaws) in addition to service roads.”

Ms. Tiwari continued,“Then, at least one lane can be reserved for the exclusive use of buses. And the other two for cars, scooters and other motorized vehicles. Bus stops have to be redesigned to allow spaces for hawkers so that they do not encroach upon the road, and the buses can stop at the designated bus lane.”

Minister Maken also has announced a measure requiring transit officials to use the buses at least once per day. As well-suited transit officials have been riding buses, they have acquired an intimate understanding of the current problems of over-crowding, security, and poor customer service.

IIT-Delhi developed a video on the concept of high-capacity bus systems and presented it at the workshop. Likewise, IIT-Delhi has put together a compendium of conference papers from the event. These materials can be obtained by writing to:

c/o Mahesh Gaur
Indian Institute of Technology – Delhi (IIT)
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Video Name: High-Capacity Bus Systems - Wave of the Future
Book Title: Urban Transport in Growing Cities:
High Capacity Bus Systems

For further information: http://www.iitd.ac.in/tripp