Residents for extension of BRTS buses

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 17

The government’s decision of not extending BRTS services to the remote areas of the city has failed to fulfil the objective of providing a reliable mass transport to the district, say residents.

Urban planning expert Mandeep Singh says, “The 525-km road network of the city is radial-cum-circumferential, covering an area of 139 sq km. Presently, the BRTS buses are covering less than 20 per cent of the entire road network. It is insufficient to provide connectivity to the residents and daily visitors.”

Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC), a department of the Local Government, had prepared a comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) for infrastructural development, like road widening, construction of railway overbridges, flyovers, rail transport system and many more, keeping in mind needs of the holy city for the next four decades. It was released in 2013.

The CMP revealed that the probable expenditure of each family on transport was about Rs 2,090 per household. It was judged higher than the expenditure either on housing or education or on health here.

A senior citizen, Kulwant Singh Ankhi, says, “Expenditure of families on fuel has obviously risen during the past nearly five years as the cost of fossil fuel has considerably increased. However, the government pressed in buses under the BRTS on two roads – the GT road and the Batala road. Adequate public transport service will wean people away from personal vehicles.”

Rajan Mehra of Moon Avenue, Fatehgarh Churiyan road, said, “So far, the buses under the BRTS are running between Golden Gate to India Gate on the GT road. India Gate, which is situated on Naraingarh bypass, is further connected via Ram Tirath, Ajnala, Fatehgarh Churriyan, Majitha, Batala and Vallah bypasses to Golden Gate, on Amritsar-Jalandhar GT road bypass.A semi-circle shaped stretch will cover a large number of colonies which fall on and across the bypasses.”