Bus Rapid Transit System hits speed-breaker
Coimbatore City Corporation's project for a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) seems to have hit a speed-breaker. The reason: its efforts to take over major stretches of the National Highway and State Highway in the city are in limbo.The Corporation envisages the bus system as running on exclusive lanes as part of streamlining the transport system — at a cost of Rs.750 crore under the Central Government's Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.Mayor R. Venkatachalam, however, seeks to dispel doubts over the scheme. "We have only been asked to go a little slow because the National Highways Authority of India has offered to carry out repairs to the Tiruchi Road and then hand it over to us to implement the scheme," he says. The Mayor has appealed even to Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T.R. Baalu to facilitate the takeover of those stretches of the National Highway that are within the Corporation limits. The Corporation says the roads will need to be improved to make them fit for the system.
"We have asked for more than 19 km of highways to be handed over to us. We are convinced that we can introduce the new service and build flyovers and subways at busy points only if these roads are handed over to us," the Mayor says.Mr. Venkatachalam points out that a rapid increase in the number of vehicles on the roads is inevitable.The Corporation's plans ran into a phase of uncertainty for almost a month after its appeals for the takeover of roads did not get the desired response from the agencies controlling the National and State Highways."But there are indications now that the roads will be handed over to us after the repairs. The highways authorities say funds have been allocated for the work," the Mayor claims. The Corporation pins hopes on the bus system to elevate the city's status.
