BRT - Conventional media does it again!

[Govind]

Dear All,

If anyone was to follow the print and the TV media only to understand
how bad or good the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is performing, s/he would
not just be disgusted by the BRT but would also want to get it
scrapped. Thats, exactly whats been happening.

However, having travelled in the buses on the BRT corridor a lot of
days in the past week, I think not only is the system been working
well, it actually gives a good feeling to the commuter and is
definitely a taker. However, the conventional media has been busy
highlighting how all the cars got jammed and the rush...not telling
the fact, that the masses were indeed benifitted to a great extent. I
invite some of you to "take the bus" on the corridor and blog about
your experience (good or bad), so at least the people referring to the
new and social media know what the real situation is like.

Thanks and Regards
Govind Singh
Delhi Greens

[अविनाश वाचस्पति]

BRT means बढ़ा रही टेंशन

 

अविनाश वाचस्‍पति

 

--
Avinash Vachaspati
Mobile 09868166586
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[Rahul Rakesh]

Dear All,
In Sync with what Govind wrote. don't we feel the news media flashed all around was somewhere a show of how irresponsible we are as a commuter in Delhi.

I agree, at times govt or any body can have its calculations wrong as it seems to be the case of BRT, but frens let us not forget a lot of planning has gone before the actuall work had started... so there must hav been some sense in the project (apart from the money exchanging pockets, if any) that it got rolling.

as a car driver, bike rider, bus rider, or even as a pedestrian can we behave as a little aware citizen and cooperate with whats rolling. we are loosing out on our patience...in a hurry to reach office on time even though we have started from home a good 5-10 mins late (pls ask yourselves)

i agree that the spacing etc have been a bit chaotic...but aren't we as the commuters on the road making it more chaotic and cumbersome travel?????

can't media help in promoting gd traffic sense and suporting a  gd cause otherwise undertaken by govt.

just try to think from "their" mind who sanctioned the BRT and suport the cause for a while.. its afterall for our own benefit!

and rest.. as Govind has suggested.. why not take a 'bumpy ride' and share your first hand experience???

enjoy life...
rj
Rakesh Kumar Jha
9873904595

[अविनाश वाचस्पति]

मित्र मैं आपके विचारों से इत्‍तेफाक रखता हूं।

पर वे भी हम ही हैं जो हमसे आगे वाले की गाड़ी बंद होने पर खूब जोर जोर से हार्न बजाते हैं

जबकि सब जानते हैं कि बढ़ते हुए कोई कभी अपनी मर्जी से सिर्फ मजे के लिए गाड़ी बंद नहीं करता है

वो बंद हो जाती है, मिसिंग करती है

स्‍कूटर बंद हो जाता हैया मिस करता है

पर हमें हॉर्न बिना चैन कहां रे ....

मशीन की त्रुटि की सजा

चलाने वाले के मानस को

मैं इसे उचित नहीं मानता

क्‍या आप मानते हैं ?

अविनाश वाचस्‍पति

 

[SANGHAMITRA SINGH]

Just read govind and Rahul s testimony for the BRT
I m one of the unfortunate ones(I am not media)) ,who
have to travel everyday on that route-
have ben suffering for over 12 months hoping it wld
all make sense one day- now i have given up so who
says BRT IS NOT A MESS ALL ARTEIAL ROADS STARING FROM
MG RD AT KHANPUR ARE CLOGGED WAITING TIME IS OVER 20
MIN AT EACH INTERSECTION- GIVE WHAT A CHANCE I am all
for the masses BUT I AM ALSO PART OF THE MASSES
I dont want to spnd eachday stressed out because i am
scared to step out due to the BRT mess
SCRAP IT IMMEDIATELY

sanghmitra singh

Best Jokes, Best Friends, Best Food and more. Go to http://in.promos.yahoo.com/groups/bestofyahoo/

[Bakshish]

Hi

Good to see some discussion on this....!! Well here is my two pence
worth opinion.

A disclaimer first.....!! I commute in car , so my views might be
coloured.....!!

I feel that this is a ill conceived project and very badly planned one
at that. Leave alone the misery it causes to people who are commuting
by cars, even for denizens of delhi who use the DTC/ Blueline
seva....its not exactly a smooth ride. How do pedestrians or the
people who want to board the bus reach the bus stops ....! Now after
so much of hue and cry ...Over bridges are being sought to be
constructed. And my rejoinder to those who say that this is intended
for bus using public....., now this is unfair....! Is this also not
another form of reservation ?? If govt wanted people to switch to
public transport , then adequate alternate forms of commuting should
have been provided. Get the infra in place and then prod people to
change their commuting habits, had metro been operational in this part
of the city , it would have made some sense....!!
While conventional media does go overboard sometimes , I feel they
have highlighted this issue very well....!! Ask the families of people
who have lost their lives while trying to navigate this mess.....!!
Would Ms Dikshit or any of her ministers travel in a blueline bus ??
Would they even use this stretch to commute ? I do not think
so ......!! From their Lutyen's Delhi leafy sarkari bungalows , they
can issue these statements and direct people to change for the good of
environment.....! let them try reaching their office using this
stretch whether by bus or by car....! If the purpose was to make a
statement , then like Indira Gandhi who switched to commuting to
parliament in a tonga or some such form of transport during the oil
crisis in 70's , why does not the South Delhi MP start using
blueline / DTC buses plying on the stretch just to make a
statement....!!

Here's to hearing more on this....

Cheers

[A M Sharma]

Hello,

I feel that the idea was very good but they faltered on the implementation. I wish they had built the bus lane on the edges of the road. Frankly if the car owners feel the heat because of Bus lanes, I think its ok. All Delhites anyway buy cars to either save tax or to show a rise in their social status. We should have 200% TAX on every second car in a family, 300% on the third one. Singapore has those kind of taxes on all personal cars. But for that the government should make a good public transport system. They never allowed private firms, otherwise things might have been better. One of the main persons who proposed this is Professor Dinesh Mohan who is a reputed expert on Transportation from Delhi IIT. He is indeed very good (my personal opinion) and sort of an authority on this stream. We need to support public transport initiatives - not blindly though. That is the only way forward for this city.

The BRT is a very good idea and I quote somebody from the Delhi RWAs list, who wrote on reading so much criticism "I think your comments on such a low budget project which will serve three times more people than metro on a less amount of fare with less travel time are injustice of such an AAM ADAMI  project. "

I believe this site has a comparison between BRT & Metro
http://web.iitd.ac.in/~tripp/urbantrpt/utrightframe.html

Times of India's opinion & slur campaign on BRT is shameful.

Regards
Amal

Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.  -- Eleanor Roosevelt

Abhikalak Consultants
Phone: +91-11-2648 3334
Alternate Email: abhi...@gmail.com

[Bakshish]

Hi there

While there is merit in proposing a tax on 2nd and 3rd car in a
family , I think the statement that Delhites buy cars to avail tax
benefits or to show rise in social status is a gross generalisation.
People buy cars because it gives them mobility both social and
physical.

And whats wrong with procuring a car to show a raise in social
status ??? The positive consumer sentiment and spending goes a long
way in boosting the economy.

It should be Govt's duty to provide infrastructure. Had this been
planned better as in feeder buses and other supporting infra being
there , it may have worked. As of now its a misery for all concerned.
The latest is to make a flyover once again on Public taxpayers money
to justify this mess....!!

This is a classic case of good money chasing the bad .......and mark
it ...its our money that these guys are so willfully spending...!!!


Bakshish

On May 2, 10:19 am, A M Sharma <amsha...@abhikalak.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I feel that the idea was very good but they faltered on the
> implementation. I wish they had built the bus lane on the edges of
> the road. Frankly if the car owners feel the heat because of Bus
> lanes, I think its ok. All Delhites anyway buy cars to either save
> tax or to show a rise in their social status. We should have 200% TAX
> on every second car in a family, 300% on the third one. Singapore has
> those kind of taxes on all personal cars. But for that the government
> should make a good public transport system. They never allowed
> private firms, otherwise things might have been better. One of the
> main persons who proposed this is Professor Dinesh Mohan who is a
> reputed expert on Transportation from Delhi IIT. He is indeed very
> good (my personal opinion) and sort of an authority on this stream.
> We need to support public transport initiatives - not blindly though.
> That is the only way forward for this city.
>
> The BRT is a very good idea and I quote somebody from the Delhi RWAs
> list, who wrote on reading so much criticism "I think your comments
> on such a low budget project which will serve three times more people
> than metro on a less amount of fare with less travel time are
> injustice of such an AAM ADAMI  project. "
>
> I believe this site has a comparison between BRT & Metro

> <http://web.iitd.ac.in/~tripp/urbantrpt/utrightframe.html>http://web.iitd.ac.in/~tripp/urbantrpt/utrightframe.html

> Alternate Email: abhika...@gmail.com

[Ajay Jain]

This is not a bebate between the classes of travel, it is all about good administration.

And the Delhi Govt has failed badly on this – like for so many other projects. The Govt is accountable for all it does, including spending public money. And if it has botched up, someone has to pay. Genuine mistakes are one thing; this was a project that any commonsensical thought in advance would have indicated as being a disastrous one. Couldn’t they have created a computer model – so easy nowadays – to see what it would mean?

It seems someone close to the Govt came up with the idea, the Govet floated it and gave it to this person to implement and got huge pay-offs. This is how corruption works in this country: someone proposes a money making idea, and then the Govt finds a reason to go ahead with it.


Ajay Jain
Journalist / Blogger / Author

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> On May 1, 1:39?am, Govind <govind...@gmail.com> wrote:

[The Empty Head(Ashish)]

I took some time out to read the BRT Design summary document from the
IIT-D website. Throughout the document, the focus is on improving the
experience of bus travellers, pedestrians, cyclists and such, there is
only a single section that talks about motor vehicles, that too says
that a two lane solution is usually enough.

So much for good planning. The number of motor vehicles is growing in
Delhi every day, and BRT or not, every one who travels in a bus wishes
to buy his/her dream car. When they do, will the government ensure
there is enough road to drive that car? Or should all of us stop
dreaming anyways.

Our planners go for "internationally successful" solutions, without
realizing that the scenario is much different in India. Most of us,
whether we drive a car, a scooter, a bike or for that matter, even
board a bus or walk on the road, care a rat's ass about the traffic
rules. Haven't we all seen people flagging buses to stop at the middle
of nowhere? How many times we have done the same?

BRT is a mess, but it is more so because we primarily do not believe
in a lot of traffic laws and courtesy's that the rest of the world
does. We all want to get home asap, and its a race out there on the
roads. As long as this situation prevails, no solution can solve the
traffic mess we have.

P.S. Some more food for thought: It is considered that idling your car
for over a minute decreases the efficiency, and increases pollution.
BRT till now has forced a lot of cars to idle for long periods of
time. Isn't this actually contributing towards global warming by doing
so?

Think about it!!

Wishes
The Empty Head
www.emptyhead.in

[Arjun]

Hi,
Just wanted to add a point if view also and from someone who is
facing it everyday to work - It seems everywhere - online and offline
- everyone is bashing the BRT, cursing it, cursing the govt.,
etc...etc....BUT it seem people (and that includes me as well)...are
forgetting one important thing....For this project/experiment to be
successful , the PEOPLE commuting on BRT HAS to and I repeat , HAS to
be disciplined. In most places where this has been successful, it is
because the people co-operated. This experiment can not be in vacuum
and be put all the responsibility on the govt. NO I am not saying
everything has been done correct - like I beleive there should have
been over-bridge for BUS passenger at crossing so as to reduce the
waiting time at Traffic lights,etc. But my moot point is that, this
experiment can succeed if and only if the people co-operate and follow
discipline. Which I have personally seen is much lacking. We Indians
are so NOT used to following line in order and not being in queue,
that when something which needs us do that, we fail and then start
blaming other like govt., the IIT guy who conceptualized the
idea,etc.For example, the other I saw a auto trying to jump the
divider and got stuck and this caused the traffic on both the lanes to
stop. Another was when bikes started getting into the cycle lane. Or
people using the cycle lane as pedestrian walkways or even using it
for a evening gup shup with friends - sitting on plastic chairs!!!
And I have seen the other side also - when people follow the rules.
This happened when I was coming back from office and was going toward
Saket - and I don't know why - but people there were following rules
and lo behold!!! the Traffic was running very smoothly and fsat too!!
Ya there must have been pay back, corruption and all that jaaz....I
ask where is it not there....I beleive that in India definition of
corruption now is when you take money AND then NOT do the work.....and
not when you just take money...So I will agree with Govind and not
with Ajay and Bakshish that this will be good in long run if ONLY
people participate and co-operate.
ciao,
Arjun
Techie / Blogger

On May 2, 12:05 am, Ajay Jain <a...@ajayjain.com> wrote:
> This is not a bebate between the classes of travel, it is all about good
> administration.
>
> And the Delhi Govt has failed badly on this ­ like for so many other
> projects. The Govt is accountable for all it does, including spending public
> money. And if it has botched up, someone has to pay. Genuine mistakes are
> one thing; this was a project that any commonsensical thought in advance
> would have indicated as being a disastrous one. Couldn¹t they have created a
> computer model ­ so easy nowadays ­ to see what it would mean?
>
> It seems someone close to the Govt came up with the idea, the Govet floated
> it and gave it to this person to implement and got huge pay-offs. This is
> how corruption works in this country: someone proposes a money making idea,
> and then the Govt finds a reason to go ahead with it.
>
> Ajay Jain
> Journalist / Blogger / Author
>
> My new book
> Let¹s Connect: Using LinkedIn to connect at work (More about book atwww.techgazing.com/linkedin)
>
> My new travel blogwww.kunzum.com
>
> LinkedIn Profilewww.linkedin.com/in/ajayjain9
>
> My other blogsakeswww.techgazing.comwww.ajayjain.com
>
> Contact

> +91.99100 44476 / a...@ajayjain.com

[Amit Gupta]

On Fri, May 2, 2008 at 11:53 AM, Bakshish <dbak...@gmail.com> wrote:

And whats wrong with procuring a car to show a raise in social
status ???  The positive consumer sentiment and spending goes a long
way in boosting the economy.

Yeah and that increases useless traffic on roads as well which could very well be avoided!! Ease of availability of cars off late via loans etc has made a number of people get  more than one car and then they use them unwisely which contributes to increase in traffic.

You may wonder how. I'll give a real life example. A certain family in the neighbourhood of mine has 3 cars. They are just a family of 4(the guy, his wife & parents) and only father and son drive! Now if the father is going to Connaught Place & the son is going to Janpath, both of them take a car each when they could've very well gone in 1 car & come back in the same as both were to return at the same time! So would you tell me where is the sense in it? They both ended up contributing to an increase in traffic on the route to CP and also burned extra fuel both of which could've been avoided.

FYI, private cars in Singapore are hard to buy due to high taxes. The reason why taxes are high there is just that the govt. wants less cars on the road & wants people to use public transport system which is quite good. Singapore is half the size of Delhi in terms of area, so can you imagine if they let anyone buy a car like in Delhi then what will happen? Thats a whole country which is half the size of our city!! :)
 

It should be Govt's duty to provide infrastructure.

Its Govt. & not God. It can't convert a tomato into a water melon! :) They are also humans like us. But you know, off late what I've noticed on Delhi roads is that traffic jams occur due to the stupidity of the drivers who don't have a penny's worth of road sense & etiquette!! I don't think we can blame govt. for people's incompetence!! Govt. doesn't ask people to jump traffic signals, govt. doesn't ask people to block the left turn on a red signal(when left turn is free) which in increases the queue at the signal as those who could've gone left also have to wait. Also, govt. doesn't ask people to cruise on speeds of 30kmph in the right most lane(which is to be used for overtaking) on a 3 lane road when all the other 2 lanes are empty! Some other vehicles also come up then & which go on at about 30kmph & the whole road is blocked and no one can overtake which again results in a useless queue!

I'm not saying what govt. does is always right, everyone makes mistakes, but we really can't put all the blame on the govt. as if we the people are not guilty of adding to the problems which we all face on the roads!!

--
My brief profile @ http://me.amitgupta.in/

Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go;
it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow. -- Alice Mackenzie Swaim

[Bakshish]

Hi All

Good to have this discussion going.....!! We have had some interesting
day of diverse opinion here.

Mess or not , Govt's job alone or citizenry at large.....!!

The fact that so much has been said and discussed seems to indicate
that there is some problem ...!! ( Elementary ! Dear Watson !)

Whether the solution is to scrap it ! Modify it !! Getting Citizenry
to be more caring / less callous......or something else....!!
Difficult to say...!!

What is its future ?

Predicting future is a tuff job and 90% of the time , u get it wrong ,
but my bet is that Govt would just wash its hands off this at a
convenient time...!! In an election year , such controversies are
better avoided one way or the other.....!! IITD professor would soon
be advising some other government on ways to ease congestion...!!

Delhi Govt's budget next year will show some 65 -70 crores deficit on
account of BRT ! Some additional cess may be put on Delhiwala's to
make up for this deficit and I am also sure of one thing.......A high
powered delegation comprising of some Delhi Govt ministers and their
lackey's would go on a foreign junket to STUDY some western capitals
Mass Transport System and check its feasibility ....!! And as they
say......life goes on....!!

U and me would be debating some other BRT here ......

Does this sound cynical or plain realistic....! I dunno..

Bakshish


On May 2, 4:02 pm, "Amit Gupta" <coola...@gmail.com> wrote:

> My brief profile @http://me.amitgupta.in/

[Govind]

Dear All,

Thank you for all your responses! It was really very interesting to
read all the replies.

After a BRT survey for the Center for Science & Environment and after
having filmed, surveyed and experienced it several times over, this is
what I have to say:
http://ecoworldly.com/2008/05/05/bus-rapid-transit-brt-trial-run-fails-miserably-in-delhi/

Best,
Govind

[Govind]

Center for Science & Environment - Delhi Greens - Indian Youth Climate
Network (IYCN) joint press release over the random BRT survey, that we
did.

Please find it on the CSE's website, right on top, under "Press
Release": http://cseindia.org/ and hopefully, in tomorrow's
newspapers.