BRTS mulls feeder service to increase passenger footfall in its city buses

Tribune News Service

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Amritsar, February 19

After losing 60 buses of erstwhile City Bus Service (CBS) to the Punjab Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), the Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) is now looking for different kind of vehicles to initiate feeder service to increase passenger footfall in its buses.

The BRTS is the second mass transport service after the ignominious exit of CBS, a project funded by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had launched the project on January 28, 2014. After two years, 60 buses introduced in its first phase went off roads.

As in other cases, no efforts were ever made to fathom the reasons and causes which led to its failure.

Subsequently, the BRTS was flagged off by the then Deputy CM on December 15, 2016.

Inderjeet Singh Chawla, Chief Executive Officer of the BRTS, said the feeder service to provide unbreakable journey from house to destination was being mulled. He said it was in planning stage that e-rickshaws and bicycles would transport passengers possessing smart cards of the BRTS.

For instance, he said, e-rickshaws could be pressed into New Amritsar locality on the GT road to operate shuttle service.

The BRTS has failed to evoke desired results from locals. Its reason said to be missing complimentary service on those roads connecting the GT road, where the BRTS is being presently run.

Balram Kumar Sharma, president of the Punjab Sudhar Sabha, said the 31-km dedicated BRTS corridors were running on two key city stretches, including the GT road from India Gate on the western side to Naraingarh intersection on the eastern side and Verka bypass to Court Chowk.

He said: “There are many wide roads like Majitha, Maqbool, Fatehgarh Churriyan, Old Jail and Ramtirath, which could easily accommodate mini-buses and buses for shuttle service. This shuttle service could provide passengers to the BRTS”.

He said a comprehensive traffic management plan was required to redress the maddening traffic of the holy city with a large share of floating population.

BRTS to come up with viable public transport model

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 19

After losing 60 buses of erstwhile City Bus Service (CBS) to the Punjab Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), the Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) is now looking for different kind of vehicles to initiate feeder service to increase passenger footfall in its buses.

The BRTS is the second mass transport service after the ignominious exit of CBS, a project funded by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM).

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had launched the project on January 28, 2014. After two years, 60 buses introduced in its first phase went off roads.

As in other cases, no efforts were ever made to fathom the reasons and causes which led to its failure.

Subsequently, the BRTS was flagged off by the then Deputy CM on December 15, 2016.

Inderjeet Singh Chawla, Chief Executive Officer of the BRTS, said the feeder service to provide unbreakable journey from house to destination was being mulled. He said it was in planning stage that e-rickshaws and bicycles would transport passengers possessing smart cards of the BRTS.

For instance, he said, e-rickshaws could be pressed into New Amritsar locality on the GT road to operate shuttle service.

The BRTS has failed to evoke desired results from locals. Its reason said to be missing complimentary service on those roads connecting the GT road, where the BRTS is being presently run.

Balram Kumar Sharma, president of the Punjab Sudhar Sabha, said the 31-km dedicated BRTS corridors were running on two key city stretches, including the GT road from India Gate on the western side to Naraingarh intersection on the eastern side and Verka bypass to Court Chowk.

He said: “There are many wide roads like Majitha, Maqbool, Fatehgarh Churriyan, Old Jail and Ramtirath, which could easily accommodate mini-buses and buses for shuttle service. This shuttle service could provide passengers to the BRTS”.

He said a comprehensive traffic management plan was required to redress the maddening traffic of the holy city with a large share of floating population.