Hindustan Times 13.01.2010

It’s an odd problem of plenty — the city’s primary bus service will get around 250 new buses by March, and doesn’t know what to do with them.

The new lot of buses — including regular and air-conditioned Kinglong buses — was meant to feed both the planned new Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) project, and planned new routes on the regular bus service run by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST).

Both those projects are yet to take off.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, originally announced as the implementing agency for BRTS, has refused to play this role, pointing instead to the government and the BMC. And BEST is yet to identify new routes to augment its route network.

So, with both projects still on paper, BEST will have 250 new buses to park at its near-saturation depots — where they will gather dust and depreciation.

The 250 new buses are expected to join BEST’s fleet of around 3,600 by March, and will be parked at Anik depot, BEST’S largest. The new buses are part of 1,000 ordered by BEST under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

“We need newer routes to run these buses. And BRTS would have been a good option, had the state taken the plan seriously,” said Dilip Patel, chairman, BEST.

Most of BEST’s roughly 30 bus depots and bus stations across Mumbai are on the verge of saturation.

All this is in contrast to Ahmedabad, whose BRTS, called Janmarg, is the only successful BRTS in the country. Janmarg runs
an 18-km route with 25 buses and is expected to extend that to 88 km.

Janmarg buses reach its 26 stops once every four minutes. Inside each bus is a unit that monitors speed, time of departure from a stop, and location, using the Global Positioning System. If a bus speeds beyond 40-45 kmph, the driver faces action. If a bus follows another too closely, an orange light blinks on a console near the driver, asking him to slow down.

These buses run on the median of the road, with passengers alighting on a 3-ft-high elevated platform and then crossing the road.

During its construction, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corp-oration (AMC) first laid out the BRTS line before constructing a split-flyover at three places. AMC has offered to help Mumbai implement our BRTS if the government asks for it.

Indian Express 13.01.2009

City to get 500 buses in 2 months

PMC standing committee sanctions Rs 96 cr for PMPML

The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal (PMPML) will finally get 500 new buses in next two months with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) standing committee sanctioning Rs 96 crore for the purpose.

Earlier, plans for better public transport were never implemented and Pune continued to have a fleet of old and ill-maintained buses, rendering public transport a nightmare on the city roads. PMC standing committee chairman Nilesh Nikam said money has been given to purchase the buses under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). According to the proposal, he said, the PMPML will purchase 400 CNG-run semi low-floor buses and100 diesel-run low-floor buses.

The total cost for the purchase of the buses is Rs 162 crore with financial assistance of Rs 81 crore from the Union government, Rs 32 crore from the state government and Rs 49 crore from the PMC.The PMC has already received Rs 40 crore from the Centre. The standing committee has approved Rs 96 crore, including Rs 56 crore from the PMC,” he said. Under JNNURM, 50 per cent contribution will be by union government, 20 per cent by state government and 30 per cent by the respective civic body.

A total of 1,722 buses are run by the PMPML in the city of which 1,296 are owned by the public transport while 426 buses are hired.

“We are happy that the PMC has approved the money to purchase the buses. We will make an attempt to get all the 500 buses on road The central government has sanctioned 650 buses for Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad under the JJNNURM, of which 500 buses were allotted to PMC and 150 to PCMC. “The 500 buses should have been inducted in December. However, that could not happen due to fund shortage,” Karle said. The PMPML has decided not to push for air-conditioned buses under JNNURM but under public-private partnershipwithin next two months,” said Shirish Karle, chairman and managing director (additional charge) of PMPML.