Admn fails to frame safety policy for BRTS corridor

Despite several fatal accidents in the past, the Amritsar administration has failed to frame a clear safety policy for the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor. On Monday evening, three people lost their lives when a bus crashed into the roof of a station inside the corridor, once again exposing glaring official negligence.

Built at a cost of around Rs 530 crore to ease Amritsar’s traffic congestion, the BRTS corridor has instead turned into a death trap. The Metro bus service, operating in the designated corridor, was suspended on July 4, 2023, and despite repeated promises, the government had not been able to resume the BRTS operations. Since then, the lanes have remained open, allowing the entry of trucks, private buses, two-wheelers and even pedestrians, leading to frequent collisions and fatal mishaps.

Traffic experts have identified multiple black spots inside the corridor and over 50 accidents have been reported in recent years, claiming more than 10 lives. Faulty design features, such as low roofs at bus stops and dangerously placed iron grills, have caused several head injuries and fatal cuts. The absence of reflectors during foggy or nighttime conditions, broken infrastructure and the theft of safety grills have further increased the risk.

In March 2022, Dr Narinder Kaur lost her life after being hit by a speeding vehicle while crossing the BRTS lane near Gate Hakima. Police investigations in several such cases have cited illegal vehicle entry and the absence of pedestrian crossings as major causes. Local residents allege that after each accident, the police temporarily block the affected stretch with ropes, but reopen it within days, leading to repeat incidents. Accidents are frequent on the Batala Road, Chheharta, and the elevated road stretches of the corridor.

Local MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh had raised the issue in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, demanding that the BRTS corridor be removed to address traffic congestion to save innocent lives.