Traffic police grumble about BRTS:not enough hands to check for breach……Sagnik Chowdhury
The long-pending Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) has run into opposition from the traffic police, an agency crucial to its success.
They have been repeatedly expressing their opposition in meetings at government level, police sources told Newsline. They have said they will not be in a position to ensure other vehicles do not breach the passages dedicated for buses.
Sources said the traffic police are unhappy with government pressure to implement the project, whose feasibility was surveyed by the MMRDA through a consultant, before BEST was asked to execute it.
At several meetings we have informed the government we dont find BRTS feasible for several reasons. First, having a dedicated line for buses will significantly reduce the width of carriageways and leave narrower roads for the ever growing volume of cars. Second, we simply dont have the number of men required to ensure there are no transgressions into the dedicated bus lanes, said a top Mumbai Police officer, who did not wish to be named.
Unless BEST is in a position to continuously run buses at regular short intervals, the dedicated lanes for buses will be a waste of precious road space. Such a project has not worked effectively in Delhi either, said the officer.
A traffic police officer, again requesting anonymity, said, The manpower required for the system is a huge concern. There are other elementary issues that need to be looked into. Having bus lanes on the curb side of roads raises questions about where taxis will pick up and drop passengers, and the risks involved.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Vivek Phansalkar refused to comment.