Suggestion to make BRTS successfull in Mumbai India

By :Shoeb Hakim
Visit my Blog on Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS)

The concerned authorities and the State governement will have to take some stern steps. Making seperate lanes for BRTS will add to the Traffic Jam.

1. Stop all illegal autos and taxis plying on the road. There are so many autos and taxis whose permits have expired or drivers do not have badge.
2. These autos and taxis drivers drive at their top speed of 50 kmph in the first and second lane on both the Eastern and western express highways and causes jam behind them.
3. They park anywhere on the road, before and after bus stops and give trouble to BUS drivers to stop their buses at bus stop. Again Jams take place.
4. Also private luxury and company buses near railway stations, highways etc park or stop during peak hours for pick-up causing jam behind them. Visit Andheri east, west, Bandra east etc.
5. Also points to make BRTS success and make people sto pusing their cars and use BRTS.
6. The reason anyone uses car is first is the comfort and second is speed in travel.
7. The current BRTS has too many stops, which adds to the delay.
8. During peak hours there should be seperate buses only for pass holders and it should not allow anyone in between, only getting down must be allowed at selected stops.
9. Increase the monthly fare to Rs 2000, which means less crowd, a car traveller will not like someone pushing him with his bag when he is sitting on seat, or some one trying to seequeze or making noise , singing songs etc. Costly means decent crowd.
10. BRTS should be like a first class comparntment, other buses like II or third class.
11. Increase more buses and the frequency during peak hours.
12. Start the first bus at 6.30 am from Thane/ Dahishar and last bus at 11.00 from Backbay for the Thane / Dahishar routes.
13. Create a multistorey parking places on Thane / Dahishar/Backbay/ Sion/ Bandra Best bus depot so that people can come and park their cars and catch BRTS. Charge Rs 500 pm in the pass only for parking. This way BEST will earn additional income.
14. Deploy mini buses to get people to this depots from major localities.
15. Best can also tie up with MERU and Mega cab, to get people picked up from their home and dropped daily to bus depot / home only at Rs 1500 per month. Minimum should be 5 kms radius from the home to depot. So if you calculate Rs 2000 (Monthly pass) + RS 500 (parking charges) + Rs 1500 (caB charges) the total comes to RS 4000. That is nothing for car owners as Petrol cost is around Rs 6000 p.m from Dahishar to Nariman point, Rs 4500 p.m from Thane to Nariman point, Parking charges in Nariman point is Rs 1000 p.m. Driver Salary is around Rs 7000 + overtime etc. So the total monthly expense for petrol cars comes around Rs 14,000 p.m.
16. Think with all those cars gone off the road and parking places, How much space will be there on roads and then there will be less traffic jam on the road. So no need for special lanes for BRTS.
17. We will need around 400 buses in the start. To attract car crowd to BEST BRTS.