URBAN AGE CONFERENCE GOVERNING URBAN FUTURES November 2014

Geetam Tiwari

Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

The Delhi BRT experience: 1994 to 2014

All rights are reserved by the presenter www.lsecities.net

Delhi BRTS 1995-2014

Planning

& Performance Evaluation

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Congestion Solution: Bus exclusive lane

Move out buses from congestion

Short term:

Congestion free movement for a majority of people

Long term:

Increase in PT, pedestrians and bicyclists is possible, as well as enhanced safety.

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Delhi BRT PLANNING • 1995: Delhi on the move 2005 • 2001: International workshop(DTC&IDFC) • 2002-2005: Core group headed by CS

Delhi(all departments represented, 40 RWA/elected councillors meeting

• 2004:Manufacturers workshop-low floor bus specifications

• 2006-2008:EPCA monitoring progress • 2006: DIMTS established to implement BRT

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Priority HCBS/ETB CORRIDORS FOR NCT OF DELHI

ETB Phase 1 Central Sectt to Hari Nagar

HCBS Phase 1 Ambedkar Nagar to ISBT

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19 km planned

5.8km constructed

Media Reports

• 2002-2006(November) “…why has the project been delayed?”

• 2007May-2008 May “…BRT-Big Road Trauma”

• “Copying Bogota designs, not suited to Delhi” - MailToday, TOI, HT

• “Faulty design” –International & national “experts”

IIT Delhi

Central Bus Lanes in Delhi

IIT Delhi May 08

BRT corridor: The great Delhi divide NDTV Correspondent

Thursday, May 1, 2008 (New Delhi)

It's one of the most controversial infrastructure projects in the country but for all those who said that the Delhi Bus Corridor system was an out and out failure, here is a reality check. A poll conducted by NDTV shows that there is a sharp divide in opinion on the success of the project between those who use buses on the corridor and those who drive cars on the same stretch. Car vs. bus drivers · A whopping 75 per cent of bus drivers say the BRT is a huge improvement for buses. · 61 per cent of car drivers say driving is easier now that buses have their own lane bus drivers. · 82 per cent of them say the new bus lanes for them make driving easier. Bus passengers · 88 per cent of bus commuters feel the new BRT and its buses are an improvement on Delhi's public transport system

DELHI BUS CORRIDOR: AN EVALUATION EMBARQ, 2009

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“Despite the negative perception reflected in mass media outlets, the corridor users had a different opinion.” “The discussion of the benefits and problems of the corridor has been mostly based in perceptions and prejudices, rather than technical evaluations” BRT has reduced delays for Bus commuters by 35%

The Bus Rapid Transit System in Delhi: An Independent Evaluation, Hazard Centre,

August 2012

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65

1 2 0.2

Fig 6: BRT peak modal share

Cars/jeep/van2wheelersAuto-rickshawsDTC/Or/PvtSkl bus

Cycle

0

200

400

600

800

1000

BRT is good andshould be extended

BRT is bad, it shouldbe removed

71% persons are travelling in bus in peak hour Level of pollution increased during non BRT operations 80% people interviewed want BRT operations to continue There is no forum for the vast majority of commuters and road users on the BRT corridor to express their views and approval for the BRT.

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Congestion for All

Majority Users out of Congestion

Motor Vehicles,

45% Buses, 49%

Cyclists, 6%

Persons Moved on BRT Corridor

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After the court judgement in favour of BRT and three strong positive evaluations BRT CORRIDOR NOT EXTENDED

BRT progress since 2008

• 2009: RITES report for DELHI identifying travel demand in the city

• 2010 November : OCC inaugurated, intelligent signal system, GPS buses, Passenger information system

• 2011 May: Cluster buses rolled out. With this, cluster buses come under GPS monitoring in OCC (including data archiving, analysis) & also electronic ticketing on cluster buses.

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BRT Progress since2008 • 2011 April: Report of the special task force(set up by the

Highcourt of Delhi in the case WP(Civil)No.4572/2007—Manushi Sangathan Vs. GNCTD…..in its order on 10 February, 2010) recommended 659km of BRT in Delhi(page 11, para2)

• 2012: The Govt of Delhi has identified 15 BRT corridors to cover a distance of around 230 kilometres. Out of these, DPR (detailed project report) for a 15 kilometres has been completed submitted for EFC.

• Preliminary project report/feasibility report has been prepared for approximately 100 kilometres.

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LESSONS ? • Benefited majority users- Yes • Public participation- Yes • Incremental introduction of IT, improved

buses, specialised institution, PPP • Performance evaluation- Experts, Civil

Society, Academics(beneficiaries are Bus users, bicycles, ambulances )

• Expansion and integration with metro essential to achieve sustainability targets

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