BRT on a new path, confirms Delhi CM

New stretches will be wider, bus lane will be on the left, and a yellow line will replace dividers

BRT on a new path, confirms Delhi CM

New stretches will be wider, bus lane will be on the left, and a yellow line will replace dividers

DELHI'S controversial Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor would not be the same, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit told
on Friday.

The new stretches will be wider, the bus lane would be on the left, and instead of dividers there would be a prominent yellow line separating the it from the car lane with frequent 'only-for-buses' reminders.

"If it works well, we may even consider replacing the existing dividers with the yellow lines on the older BRT stretch and putting the bus lane on the left," she said. "Delhi needs BRT. We will revisit it, review it and do what is best for the city."

Dikshit considers BRT a long-term solution. "We tend to oppose most changes, even if they are for better. Delhi Metro was initially opposed in various quarters but now the number of Metro users is increasing very rapidly," she said. "Once public transport is better, people will use cars less often and take the green buses instead. Otherwise we will be crawling one day."

A German firm is studying the BRT and will give its report soon.

Not only the infrastructure, but the role of traffic police would be important to make Delhi traffic less chaotic, she said, adding Delhi needed police personnel who specialise in traffic management.

"I want the traffic police to work to normalise the traffic," Dikshit said. "In present system, anyone is deployed in the traffic police without any specialised training, which is not how it should be. Just like the IAS, IPS or IRS, traffic personnel should be specialised in their work," Dikshit told MiD DAY.

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