The Times of India            06.11.2013

PMC spends Rs 145cr on BRT and counting

PUNE: The civic administration has spent around Rs 145 crore on bus rapid transport project since its inception about seven years ago. It is slated to spend another Rs 63 crore on the project. The administration has quoted this figure in a written reply to the elected members.

The pilot project on the 17-km Katraj-Swargate-Hadapsar stretch, launched in December 2006, was to set the ball rolling for other BRT routes in the city, which the PMC has been planning for six-and-a-half years. Currently, the civic body has focused on the Vishrantwadi-Kharadi corridor, as part of which, BRT routes will be developed on Nagar road, Alandi Road and Sangamwadi road.

The project is jointly funded by the central and the state government, Pune Parivahan Mahangar Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) and PMC. The central government has funded it through Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) city-modernisation scheme of the ministry of urban development.

The additional city engineer (projects) and technical director of JNNURM are dealing with PMC officials for the project, and working in association PMPML officials.

In its reply to the elected members following the general body meeting of PMC for the month of October, the civic administration has stated that "around Rs 127.84 crore have been spent on the pilot project". In addition, an amount of Rs 17.39 crore was utilised for BRT Phase 1 and BRT works, ahead of the commonwealth games, the reply states. It also states that the administration has to spend around Rs 63.14 crore for phase 1 of the project.

According to these figures, the total funds likely to be utilised for this project will touch Rs 208 crore. But the cost is likely to further escalate as land acquisition issues have cropped up for the pilot phase. The planning and execution of the remaining works can be done only after these issues are resolved.

In its reply, the civic administration has said that a couple of land owners, who are affected due to road-widening, have moved the court. The cases are pending in court, and so the PMC has not yet been able to acquire the land. "Once the administration gets the land, planning for works on them can be done," the reply added.

The reply states that the funds have been used to carry out works like separate routes for BRT buses, cycle tracks, footpaths, service roads, bus stops and other developmental works.

'BRT has not caused traffic congestion'

Activists and citizens have been raising objections against Bus Rapid Transport, pointing out that it has created more traffic problems than it has solved. The civic administration, however, in its written reply has clearly said that the BRT has not caused any traffic congestion in the city. The elected member had asked the additional city engineer (projects) and technical director of JNNURM whether BRT had led to traffic congestion, but both the officials replied, "No."

Jugal Rathi, convener of PMP Pravasi Manch, a group of public transport commuters, working for better public bus transport said that the civic administration's claims of no traffic congestion due to BRT are far from ground reality.

"The concept of providing dedicated routes for public transport is good, but the improper utilitsation of resources for BRT and poor execution of the project has caused traffic problems on these routes. If the BRT is executed properly, it can solve the problem of traffic congestion, but that is not the reality right now," he said.