According to RTC sources, the proposed SPV for the Bus Rapid Transit System for Hyderabad need to be registered under the Companies Act, whereas the RTC was formed under the RTC Act.

Till now there is no clarity on the purview of the SPV, whether it is restricted to the BRTS or it also covers buses sanctioned under JNNURM.

Unless some clarity is obtained, the status of the SPV will be fluid, says an RTC official.

The GHMC, HMDA and APSRTC will be the main stake holders in the SPV and they share the revenue accrued from the BRTS proportionately.

However, the SPV will decide the number of buses to be plied in the BRTS corridors and the fare. If the SPV comes into being, there will be two categories of buses plying in the city.

The execution of 13 km BRTS project has already started in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. The SPVs formed for the purpose are likely to be registered under the Companies Act soon. Buses for the BRTS need to be purchased by the SPV separately as the RTC is not inclined to introduce its buses in BRTS corridors.

The SPVs floated in places like Amritsar and Indore were not received well. The BRTS corridors in the two cities were awarded to private players, who themselves purchased the buses. The bus fare suggested by the SPVs in the two cities was also exorbitant. As of now there is no move to allow private operators in the BRTS in the State, says another RTC official.

The RTC has already identified Mehdipatnam - Kukatpally and Mehdipatnam - Gachibowli routes for the BRTS.

To block the defence area from public view, it has been decided to instal View Cutters before the expressway is open to traffic. The HMDA has already invited expression of interest from the prospective bidders for installation of View Cutters.

It has also been decided to instal Sound Barriers at six busy junctions along the elevated expressway.

The Sound Barriers reduce the traffic noise by almost half providing relief to the people residing in adjacent areas.

The HMDA has identified five busy junctions surrounded by residential colonies, shopping complexes and private hospitals.

The Sound Barriers will come up at Rythu Bazar (Mehdipatnam), Rethibowli Junction, near Mythri Hospital (76-77 piers), Upperapally, Indra Reddy statue, and Aramghar Junction.

Speaking to `Expresso’, HMDA Chief Engineer Vivek Deshmukh said sound barriers were installed at some stretches of Delhi Metro Rail.

In the US and Europe, installation of sound barriers on highways passing through residential areas is common.

The barriers are solid structures built between the expressway and the residential areas, which absorb t h e t r a f f i c noise. The sound barriers may be of concrete, wood, metal or fibre.

All types of sound barriers are equally effective in reducing the noise, if they have the required density, the HMDA Chief Engineer said.