MMRDA to put bus rapid transport in the fast lane

After delaying the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) for over two years, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to test the feasibility of running BEST buses in exclusive lanes on the two highways and the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR).

The report will be ready in a week after which the authority will take the project further. However, experts who were part of the earlier committees are unaware of the decision.

According to MMRDA officials, the first stretch of the bus lanes would be from Bandra (East) to Dahisar (East) and Sion to Mulund as well as JVLR.

“Consulting Engineering Services is doing the feasibility, and after the study the final layout plan will be presented to the committee set up by the state government to implement the project” said MMRDA transport and communication chief PRK Murthy. He added that, there was already one study done by another agency. “This new study will be for dedicated bus lanes on both the highways as well as JVLR,” Murthy told DNA.

Transport expert Sudhir Badami was, however, surprised about the decision. “Though I am a member of the government steering committee and technical advisory committee on BRTS, I don’t have any update on the decision. Another member, Ashok Datar, and I have been left out of the new committee,” he said.

Badami said that only dedicated lanes will not serve the purpose.

According to Murthy, the costing of the project and tendering process will be decided once the feasibility report is obtained. “The final decision will be taken by the commissioner,” he said