'Car owners jealous of bus riders for the first time '

Those who benefitted from BRT system say only car owners cant have their way

The office rush hour is a nightmare for Delhiites, particularly so for many who travel on the 5.8 kilometre BRT stretch between Ambedkar Nagar and Moolchand. But opinions on this public transit ‘solution’ differ among commuters – depending on whether they travel by bus, car or bicycle. 

Rakesh Sharma, who drives six days a week to his office in South Extension, insists the BRT has too many conceptual flaws and that the traffic police should handle the corridor better.

“This system is not suitable for cities with congested roads as inDelhi. We are already struggling for space and the two-lane road for motorists on the Ambedkar Nagar-Moolchand stretch only makes the situation worse,” he says.

When suggested that Delhiites could use DTC buses instead of their private vehicles, a motorcyclist says this would be possible only if the DTC network is available all over the city.

“People prefer using metro due to its wide connectivity. People will think of the BRT as a dominant mode of transportation if it is well connected to most corners of the city,” Mahesh Aggarwal says.

But the BRT is a success among bus riders, as they get to zip through roads which otherwise would have been choked with other forms of traffic. 

“The influx of cars and motorcycles in the national capital oftens lows down traffic, but the BRT helps us avoid the increasingly long bus rides,” says Priyanka, who travels on bus from Saket to Lodhi Colony.

Meanwhile, cyclists insist that the ‘cycle lanes’ on the corridor should not be discontinued as they provide them with a greater sense of safety from speeding vehicles.