The Hindu 27.11.2010
Bus Rapid Transit System plan stays
The Bus Rapid Transit System is planned on Rajiv Gandhi Salai.
CHENNAI: The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is planning to make the Bus Rapid Transit System a reality on stretches of various roads in the Chennai Metropolitan Area.
It organised a meeting with various departments on Thursday to discuss the implementation of the scheme and on how to overcome the constraints. Rajiv Gandhi Salai was found to be fit for having the BRTS first but TNRDC had reservations on implementation of the scheme.
The possible loss of toll on account of the shift of road users to BRTS is one of the concerns being discussed. According to an official who attended the meeting, the project could still be implemented.
As per the Chennai Comprehensive Transportation Study, the system was planned to be implemented on stretches, including 30 km of Outer Ring Road, 11 km of Thoraipakkam-Pallavaram Road, 20 km of Tambaram-Velachery-Taramani-Thiruvanmiyur Road and 28 km of Rajiv Gandhi Salai. Of the 84 km of total road length, the system would initially cover only some of the stretches.
The system to be adopted is yet to be finalised and could range from low-cost to high-cost solutions.
The low-cost solution could be the implementation of a dedicated bus lane system with bus bays en route on either side. The high-cost solution could be grade separators, area traffic control system and hi-tech buses with high speed.
A range of institutional arrangements, including a third agency, for operation of the system would be examined. If the agency is able to run at least 50 buses per hour, it would bring visible improvement in efficiency, said a CMDA official.
“Simple traffic management and value addition to the system in terms of road design and corrections in geometry could be our priority now,” the official added.