The Hindu : New Delhi News : BJP seeks scrapping of BRT corridor

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Friday, Mar 21, 2008
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BJP seeks scrapping of BRT corridor

Staff Reporter

Demands scientific probe into failure of existing corridor
Seeks probe into delay in construction of first corridor

NEW DELHI: Raising the issue of traffic jams in the Capital becoming a norm due to the much talked about Bus Rapid Transit corridor in South Delhi and former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam getting stuck in one of them on Wednesday, a number of BJP legislators on Thursday demanded in the Delhi Assembly that the project be scrapped as it was not only leading to traffic jams but was also dangerous since eight lives had been lost due to it.

Moving a calling attention motion, Dr. Harsh Vardhan of the BJP demanded that the Government not construct another BRT corridor till it gets a scientific probe done into the cause of the failure of the existing 5.6-km corridor. He said investing money in a project that creates chaos on the roads and increases accidents would only be a waste of money.

Dr. Vardhan also demanded a high-level enquiry into the delay in construction of the first bus corridor and the accidents caused on it during the construction period.

He said while the 14.5-km corridor from Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate was to start this March, now the scheme is being tried over a distance of 5.6 km only due to its inherent failures.

Stating that this corridor would make life even more dangerous for pedestrians and motorists, the BJP leader said the prime reason for its failure would be the presence of bus stops in the middle of the road. While this would put pedestrians crossing the roads at peril, it would also slow down the movement of vehicles as traffic lights would have to be installed every few hundred metres to help people cross to and fro the bus stops.

Dr. Vardhan said the number of low-floor buses running on BRT would be only 2 per cent of all vehicles yet an entire lane would be reserved for buses leaving the remaining vehicles with less space. He said a similar single-lane bus scheme started in Connaught Place had also failed miserably.

Saket MLA Vijay Jolly said it was unfortunate that Dr. Kalam had remained stuck in a traffic jam for a long time on Wednesday evening due to the BRT corridor. As he was the chief guest at the launch of BJP leader L. K. Advani’s book, the function also got delayed.

Pointing out that every day South Delhi residents are facing harassment due to the BRT, Mr. Jolly also demanded that this project be reviewed.

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