Though Oakland does not have a Transportation Commission, the city does plan major transportation improvements. However, there’s no one resource for learning about proposals, no regularly scheduled meetings on transportation policy, and no consistent decision-making process. In the next seven days, three important public meetings offer the opportunity to aid the city’s transportation needs.

Bus Rapid Transit

Bus Rapid Transit, the world’s most successful transit service, has proven controversial in Berkeley, with bus opponents launching an initiative to “leave our streets alone” (I am part of the campaign against this measure). Heated rhetoric aside, this is a major transportation improvement that deserves more attention from Oaklanders and policy-makers. North Oaklanders, and indeed anyone who plans to ever take transit to North Oakland destinations not adequately served by BART (like Temescal or Koreatown), are invited to learn more about the proposal tomorrow. (Thanks for the reminder, Becks!)

Jane Brunner’s Community Advisory Meeting on BRT

Saturday Oct 11, 10a

Peralta Elementary School, 460 63rd St

Taxi Service

Think Taxi service in Oakland is adequate? Never waited too long for a taxi? Never spent hours calling the two taxi providers in this city of over 400,000 people? Never had a female friend make throaty-voiced calls to get you a cab back from a West Oakland warehouse party? Never missed an Oakland Opera performance because there just weren’t any cabs at 7pm in the DTO? Then this meeting is not for you.

Biannual meeting on adequacy of permitted taxi service

Monday, Oct 13, 7p

Hearing Room One, City Hall

(If you cannot attend the meeting, comments can be sent to Assistant City Administrator Barb Killey, bkilley at oaklandnet dot com)

Oakland – Alameda Transit Connections

With the expected development of the rest of the former Alameda Naval Air Base, the issue of providing improved public transit access from Oakland to Alameda is even more pressing. Proposals range anywhere from amphibious buses to Bus Rapid Transit to a “futuristic” monorail. Oakland’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, of which I am a member, invites the public to comment on ways to bridge the Estuary.

Estuary Crossing Study

Thursday, Oct 16, 5:30p

Hearing Room 4, City Hall

No mês de Julho não houve mudança nos preços para mensagens MMS e para mensagens SMS apenas a BrT aumentou o preço de sua mensagem avulsa para R$ 0,39. As outras operadoras mantiveram sua política de preço. Com a entrada em operação da Aeiou (Unicel) com preços agressivos para mensagens de texto - R$ 0,14 para outras operadoras e R$ 0,07 para celulares da mesma operadora - provavelment obrigue as operadoras a lançar mão de promoções mais agressivas no que diz respeito ao SMS.

Segundo relatório divulgado pela ABI Research as mensagens de texto SMS continuarão a ser o maior gerador de receita entre os serviços de mensagens com receita global estimada em 177 bilhões de dólares em 2013. Desta forma as operadoras brasileiras têm tentado estimular o uso do SMS, seja com promoções, interatividade ou pacotes de mensagens com 10, 50 e até 100 mensagens com preço decrescente de acordo com o pacote adquirido. Resta agora saber qual será a estratégia da Oi ao entrar em São Paulo para movimentar ainda mais o mercado de preços e tarifas.

Sebagai orang sosial, gw melihat BRT udah mengubah wajah Jakarta yang semrawut menjadi lebih teratur. at least orang Jakarta (Baca:Penumpang) harus rela mengantre untuk mendapatkan bus.

yah, gambar di atas cuma satu contoh aja. ini gw ambil di Pulogadung waktu gw mau naik BRT Pulogadung-harmoni. lo bisa liat antreannya panjang banget. Tapi kebanyakan dari mereka ini adalah yang nunggu BRT Pulogadung-Dukuh Atas. menurut Petugasnya, mereka udah nunggu kira2 1,5 jam! edan.

apa yang bisa gw katakan dari hal ini? well, orang Jakarta itu sebenarnya bisa diajak disiplin, apalagi kalau terpaksa. bayangin aja, penumpang BRT per hari sekarang ada 240.000-an, dulu sih cuma 210.000 sebelum kenaikan BBM. Artinya, 30.000-an orang itu rela2 aja tuh ngantre (padahal dulunya mereka naik bus lain atau naik kendaraan pribadi yang umumnya nggak pakai antre). artinya kan sebetulnya orang2 ini rela2 aja antre. tapi yang jadi masalah adalah berapa lama orang harus antre?

kalau kebijakan ini dibuat untuk mengurangi kemacetan, maka ada beberapa hal yang perlu diperhatikan dari BRT Jakarta.

1. Harus nyaman, karena bus reguler nggak nyaman

2. Harus aman, karena bus reguler nggak aman

3. Nggak lama menunggu, karena bus reguler nggak punya kepastian jadwal, sehingga masyarakat cenderung memberhentikan bus di sembarang tempat.

untuk mewujudkan hal tersebut, maka minimal ada 2 hal yang harus diperhatikan Pemprov DKI dan operator BRT:

1. Jumlah bus

2. Flow antarbus

Jumlah bus adalah poin penting dalam meningkatkan kenyamanan (jadi nggak desak2an, bahkan jadi lebih aman toh kalau nggak desak2an). tapi yang nggak kalah penting adalah flow antarbus. lo bisa liat ilustrasi berikut yang gw ambil dari halte BRT perempatan Ragunan.

di gambar, lo bisa liat bahwa flow antarbus masih jelek banget. bus yang satu masih menaik-turunkan penumpang, eh bus yang belakangnya udah nempel aja. hal ini juga terjadi waktu gw naik bus Pulogadung-Harmoni. kebetulan bus gw yang posisinya di belakang. jadilah bus gw cuma menaikkan penumpang dari Terminal Pulogadung dan sepanjang halte cuma menurunkan penumpang.

kalau flownya seperti ini, jeda kedatangan penumpang dari luar masuk ke halte kan nggak bisa dijangkau oleh jeda kedatangan bus. hal ini menimbulkan penumpukan penumpang dalam halte. seharusnya ada jarak sekian menit (katanya sih sekitar 5 menit, tapi gw bukan orang teknik, jadi nggak berani menjudge) antara bus yang satu dengan bus yang lain untuk datang ke halte tersebut.

nah, masalah yang terjadi di Jakarta, selain busnya kurang secara kuantitas, eh flownya juga nggak bener.

ayo benahi jakarta...

Só que, como pode ser visto no linque acima, ele deu um retorno, só que não por e-mail, como a empresa de telefonia supunha e sim, no próprio blogue. E a resposta não foi das mais animadas.

Um detalhe que me chamou a atenção foi que o Demori disse que grava todas as conversas telefônicas que tem com essas empresas. Fiquei com a pulga atrás da orelha, primeiro, sobre a legalidade de tal ação. Mas, principalmente, sobre a minha situação: recentemente adquiri, para minha residência, um incremento de velocidade no ADSL da Brasil Telecom (de 400 kbps para 1 mbps) e assinatura da Sky, como um pacote que me dá desconto em ambos por um prazo determinado.

Não sei porque, mas, dada a grande quantidade de problemas que já tive com a Brasil Telecom e considerando que a Sky não é nenhuma maravilha (cada vez que tenho que resolver um problema me estresso demais), já estou desconfiado que vou me ferrar. É sofrer por antecipação, eu sei, mas, no caso de alguma das empresas fazer algo diferente do que tinha sido prometido, eles vão me dizer: "mas é isso que consta no contrato"... E eu não tenho CONTRATO ALGUM! É tudo feito por telefone. Ou seja, se eles resolverem mudar a regra do jogo, não tenho como provar. Ou seja, o que o Demori disse, faz todo o sentido. Pensarei nessa hipótese, próxima vez que precisar entrar em contato com eles.

Por sinal, outro corjeano, o Walter Valdevino, já tinha tido ALTOS problemas com a Brasil Telecão. Detalhes aqui e aqui. Ainda que eles, portoalegrenses, têm outras opções, como cabo e GVT. Nós, os colonos, somos obrigados a engolir a BRT.

One of Russ' academia friends, economist Michael Munger, speaks at length on the program about the public transportation system quality in Santiago, Chile before and after nationalization of their bus network.

Prior to 2007 Santiago's surface transit was made up of a patchwork of thousands of independent, private bus operators. Operators specialized in niches ranging from neighborhood local busses which stopped at every block in a town to luxury express busses providing direct to city center service.

Since nationalization circa February 2007 the masses have expressed widespread complaints about the poor quality of the system. Wikipedia's article on Transantiago sums up these complaints well:

The major complaints are the lack of buses and their inconsistent frequencies, missing or poor infrastructure (such as segregated corridors, prepaid areas and bus stops), the network's coverage, and the number of transfers needed for longer trips.

I agreed in spirit that market based solutions can offer better outcomes than public, centralized planning in some situations. But, we shouldn't get rid of public transit and city planning.

• I do agree that in controlled situations, a market solution is better. San Francisco's publicly owned and operated transit system is largely a failure, spurring reactions identical to those of Santiago's newly nationalized bus system. Here, Munger and Roberts are spot on in their complaints of the stupidity of nationalizing a once private resource. (Remember, SF had a patchwork of completely privately owned transit lines until around the 1910's. Everything I've read says these competing systems provided excellent service, especially given available technologies.)
• But, I do not share Munger and Roberts' idyllic view that free markets are the holy grail of public transport policy. Two reasons:
  • Just look at our suburban car-based communities. These communities are real life experiments in market based, unplanned transport and city zoning policies. These communities are a dismal failure.
  • While bus systems can arguably run with no government intervention, most other high-capacity transit systems need exclusive, government granted corridor rights-of-way, whether that be below ground subways, above ground rail corridors, or even fantastical elevated monorails. Like utilities, physical constraints necessitate government involvement to some degree.

Like many EconTalk podcasts, even if you don't agree with everything, the discussion points a great alternative spotlight on conventional public policy views.

My favorite viewpoint: the entire concept of central transportation planning is communist at its core -- an odd anomaly in a nation proud of its free-market ideology. Why should transportation "planners" dictate the best transportation routes? Our publicly owned and operated Muni is blind to the most powerful natural "planner" in the world: market feedback.

This viewpoint strikes me especially hard in the context of the impending Transit Effectiveness and the Geary BRT projects in the planning faces. With the TEP, the City is spending millions of dollars and years of research to accomplish what free market forces could do everyday, instantly, for free.

Link to podcast page (direct mp3 link)

CONTENT UPDATED DAILY

Business Standard says in its editorial "Get BRT right",

"Since Indian cities are exploding with poor people coming in from the countryside to earn more, an efficient public transport system has to come first. Those better off will want and should be free to own a car, but what is not practical is for most people to drive a car to work every day. Very few do so in Mumbai, London or New York. Delhi's middle class should learn to think differently, and the BRT has to be made to work properly. "

The message to the middle class is particularly relevant and is universally applicable in Indian cities. We support this view wholeheartedly and commend it to Chennaiites. We also recommend this video of the Transmilenio BRT system in Bogota, Colombia.

 Transportation expert and sustainability (SUSTRAN) campaigner Paul Barter (whom the editor of this blog met in Kuala Lumpur several years ago in the company of researcher Dr. Yeoh Seng Guan) has this very relevant post on the Delhi BRT.

• A joint perception survey of commuters traveling on the BRT corridor, done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the Delhi-based student groups Delhi Greens and the Indian Youth Climate Network, has found overwhelming support for the BRT system.
• Majority of commuters want BRT corridors in other parts of the city for better connectivity.
• Surprise finding: contrary to general perceptions, a large majority of car and two-wheeler drivers surveyed have supported the BRT!

New Delhi, May 19, 2008: The much discussed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Delhi has received another thumbs up – this time, from its regular users. A joint random perception survey of commuters traveling on the capital’s first BRT corridor, done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Delhi Greens and the Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN), has found overwhelming support for the corridor from pedestrians, cyclists, bus drivers and commuters and – surprisingly – also from car and two-wheeler drivers. The findings of the survey were released by CSE today. These findings will also be shared with the Delhi government.

Between April 30 to May 5, 2008, CSE and Delhi Greens volunteers fanned out daily on the corridor, randomly stopping and asking commuters what difference – positive or negative – was the BRT making to their daily commutes. Since there have been talks of scrapping the project, the surveyors also asked whether commuters wanted the BRT to continue.

‘Yes’ to BRT even from car drivers

Of the 1,500 people surveyed in this period, 55 per cent were bus commuters, 23 per cent were cyclists and pedestrians, 16 per cent were car and two-wheeler commuters and the rest constituted a mixed category of those using autos etc. The survey results say:

• As much as 83 per cent of all commuters are happy with the dedicated lane system of BRT and want that the BRT system should be continued in the city.

• The major support comes from bus commuters and pedestrians/cyclists — a whopping 88-91 per cent of these respondents said that they are happy with the BRT system and want that it should be extended to more areas of Delhi.

• Contrary to popular belief, only 8 per cent of the car and two-wheeler commuters said that BRT should be scrapped and 73 per cent agreed that the project can be continued.

• When asked whether they will shift from their personal vehicles to better, faster and high frequency buses equipped with AC and GPS running on the BRT corridor -- 26 per cent of car and two-wheeler answered positively. However, they are seemingly reluctant to use the BRT corridor now because it extends for a mere 5.8 km. They are more willing to shift if its network covers most of the city’s roads and gets connected with the Metro

• Many of car and two-wheeler commuters also said that jams on the MV lanes and at intersections should be reduced and more space should be allocated to them. (for the survey results, please visit www.cseindia.org).

• Most commuters wanted the BRT corridor to be connected to the Delhi Metro and introduction of feeder buses on the corridor. There were also suggestions of cycles to be made available on rent on the stretch.

The CSE-Delhi Greens-IYCN survey shows that while there is an acknowledgement of the teething troubles that BRT is having, there is also overwhelming support for the system in the city. Commuting data from various agencies support the findings – they tell us that around 60 per cent of commuters on the corridor use buses, while cars actually carry less than 20 per cent of the people.

Available estimates for key junctions on the corridor show that during the morning rush hour on the BRT corridor, 200 buses carry 15,000 passengers on an average every day. Compared to this, the corridor has about 5,000 cars carrying merely 5,767 passengers, and 4,000 two-wheelers carrying 4,000 people in the same period.

Said Anumita Roychowdhury, associate director, CSE and the head of its Right to Clean Air Campaign: “The findings of this perception survey are a people’s verdict for BRT.”

BRT a step in the right direction

The survey’s findings reinforce the argument that BRT system is an important part of the solution to pollution and congestion nightmare in Delhi. Delhi, once considered to be one of the most polluted cities in the world, has managed to arrest some of its runaway pollution. However, it might soon lose this war if a future roadmap for pollution control, based on public transport, is not set immediately. And commuter friendly BRT system would have to be the key elements in such a roadmap. The city is running out of road space to accommodate the exponential increase in car and two-wheeler numbers.

CSE has consistently argued for a better and more integrated public transportation service for Delhi. Buses are an integral part of the public transport strategy -- affordable, cost-effective and space-efficient. They do occupy twice the road space of a car, but can carry 40 times the number of passengers. They can reach areas with lower travel demand, where a rail system might not work. Buses are already the mode of commute for a large majority. About 8.7 million people travel by bus in Delhi every day; the Metro transports about 0.5 million commuters daily. These are much larger numbers than those traveling by personal vehicles.

Growing congestion hampers the performance of a bus transport system. Congestion leads to slower turn-around and affects service frequency and optimum utilisation. Buses require more time to complete one journey. Giving buses a right of way will help them to improve speed, comfort, accessibility, convenience and costs. The concept of BRT is also about equitable sharing of road space by all road users – car and two-wheeler users, bus users, pedestrians and cyclists.

BRT implementation should be strengthened and improved. There is strong support from the commuting majority for the BRT system which is part of the solution to congestion and pollution nightmare in Delhi.

Should BRT be scrapped?

Defending the BRT project, Dikshit said the accident was not due to the corridor but an outcome of the "recklessness" of the bus driver. "This accident has nothing to do with the BRT. But it is sad that a traffic marshal was killed due to the negligence of the bus drivers," she was heard telling the reporters.

According to Dikshit, the users of the corridor will have to be alert while using it. "As BRT is a new concept in the city, people are not much aware about using it. Whenever a new thing is introduced, it is natural that people will face some difficulties," she said.

Now this one takes the cake -- the government is actually blaming people for accidents and poor planning! It's some time into BRT and commuters are not finding the ride as smooth. All along the stretch, marshals are filling up for the traffic police. The question we'd like to ask is: Is it safe to leave traffic management to marshals? And should Delhi government admit its folly instead of shifting the blame and do away with BRT? Discuss.

some posters i designed during the BRT mess in Delhi, click to view full

Sometimes I feel the need to find a different source of stories - and so far today not one comes from CanWestGlobal.

Delhi has been getting stick for its new BRT lines (form the Times of India among others) but

French transport minister Dominique Bussecreau, who on Wednesday told chief minister Sheila Dikshit that France too faced much opposition when the first BRT corridor came up in Paris. Pointing out that now "all was well" with the project, the French minister revealed that the corridor in Paris stretched over 44 kilometres.

...

He further offered possible funding assistance to undertake a detailed survey and study for commissioning of tramways in Delhi

...

initiatives being taken by the French government in curbing pollution. The initiatives included free cycle service, electrical cars and hybrid cars.

The point being of course that what is needed is not a one size fits all solution but appropriate technology for the needs of the service. Anyone who tells you that cablecars or aerial tramways will solve all our problems is a snake oil salesman. It is inevitable that many different modes are needed, but the one we currently rely on - a gasoline driven single occupant vehicle that takes up half of the road space needed for a 40 seater bus - is not going to be around for very much longer. And what we will have to concentrate on is

the need to integrate different modes of Public Transport.

That last comes from Delhi "chief minister Sheila Dikshit". And she is right.

Trying to make up for their failed BRT experiment, the Delhi government has gone crazy looking for alternative systems of transport ahead of the crucial Assembly elections later this year. Days after the Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf promised to begin work on Monorail and light-rail transit, the government on Wednesday said it is also considering bringing in tramways in the Capital.

Looking to model it after the tramways in France, CM Sheila Dikshit met up with the French Transport Minister, Dominique Bussercreau, who offered possible funding assistance to undertake a detailed survey and study to commission tramways in Delhi.

The BRT fiasco, it seems, has already created fissure among senior officials and politicians and an immediate need has been felt to introduce alternative options and gain public confidence.

Only, it may not be that easy. Delhiites are facing the brunt of the public money gone waste on the corridor. As for the tramways, our minsters must not forget that there was a time when trams used to ply in Old Delhi. So, instead of getting a feasibility study done on the basis of what is doing well in France, it would perhaps be better for Delhi government to look within.

Do you think, it's going to be easy for the Delhiites to forget the mess called BRT? What in your view should the Government do?

10.00 AM to 1.30 PM, Thursday, May 15, 2008, Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi

Initiative for Transportation and Development Programmes (ITDP India), an NGO working on sustainable transportation issues, is organising a Workshop titled "Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) & Non-Motorised Transportation : Problems, Solutions and Road Ahead" on Thursday, 15th May, 2008 from 10.00 AM - 1.30 PM (followed by Lunch) at Gandhi Peace Foundation, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi.   The objective of the workshop is to bring various stakeholders -- experts, academicians, institutions, Government agencies, social organizations, civil society, media, critics and citizens --  together to discuss, exchange knowledge and seek suggestions/ideas to improve BRT systems and non-motorised transportation (walking, cycling, cycle-rickshaw) infrastructure/facilities in Indian cities in general and Delhi in particular. 

Besides Indian experts on transportation and urban planning, some international experts working on BRT and/or NMT issues are also expected to participate in the event. The proceedings of the event and recommendations made by speakers/ participants will be compiled and forwarded to the relevant Government agencies for consideration and released to the media.

ITDP urges all concerned citizens to participate in the event and share their ideas and suggestions. 

For Further information, please contact:

Rajendra Verma
Senior Programme Officer
Initiative for Transportation and Development Programmes
11/1, Jangpura Road, New Delhi-110014
Phone: 91-11-2437 3584, 9990 22 66 44
Email: mail@itdpindia.org 

…or so the media has us all believe.

About two weeks ago, the Government of Delhi, India unveiled the much hyped Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), previously popular here as the High Capacity Bus Corridor (HCBS) and the construction for which had been on for the last few months. The little under 6 Km BRT stretch that is now completed and is being trial run came at the cost of some lives (accidental deaths) and at the reported cost of about 3,000 heritage trees of Delhi. The dedicated bus lanes invited mixed reaction from the public; with the car users complaining about having to spend more time on the road now than before and the bus riders being annoyed with the bus-stands being displaced to the middle of the road. Poor design and lack of coordination between different stake holders further worsened the situation. And as if all of that wasn’t enough, the media has taken on itself to narrate the “failure of BRT story” with much fervour.

The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Delhi is the brainchild of the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi’s Traffic Research and Injury Prevention Programme (TRIPP) and has been executed by RITES Ltd., a Govt. of India enterprise. The Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System (DIMTS) a “special purpose vehicle” set up by the Govt. is supervising the Project. Clearly then, the Project does not have a single master: probably leading to the mess. The BRT stretch now requires over 70 traffic marshals, 35 traffic policemen and 20 transport department officials for enforcement.

However, it is not just poor planning and lack of coordination that is leading to the mayhem on the corridor. The people using the corridor are to be equally blamed. While the authorities are trying their best to ensure people drive in the lanes meant for the type of vehicle they are using, motorists are violating every rule in the book. The cycle lane is the worst hit and sees more motorcycles, scooters and auto-taxis than cycles. The BRT needs a disciplined traffic to work best, and Delhi unfortunately does not relate much to the latter. Halting on the road to take a call, changing lanes without signaling, over-speeding and jumping signals isn’t something too uncommon in the city. In fact, it is this very discipline now required to maintain on the road, that has been irritating many.

Apparently, the media has initiated a “scrap BRT campaign” of its own! Ever since the first trial run, images and footage of cars waiting forever, motorcycles scattered around the signals, pedestrians not knowing where/how to go; have been put up on the front page/prime time by several media houses. What is unfortunate is that the media seems to have ignored the large number of people who have benefited from the launch of the BRT. While some 1.2 lakh people using their personal vehicles may facing problems and hating the BRT, more than double this number of people using buses have not complained. Rather, they have not been heard.

To gain some experience, I myself took a ride on the entire strecth of the BRT. It felt good, the journey was much speedier and the same bus that used to crawl on the road was at a speed that would not have ever been possible without the corridor. The new low floored buses that have been around for some time added to my pleasant experience. Minus the AC, the experience came pretty close to what it feels when one travels in the Delhi Metro!

Next day, I took my car on the same route, got stuck at all signals - with an empty lane on my left - that had buses zooming pass by me. Then, I realized why all the irritation, disgust and hatred was for!

Delhi is up for a major face lift. Construction is at full swing. Be it the Metro tracks, maintenance of roads or the ill famed BRT, the latest bus service.

Looking at all this my colleague Sunaina had a few interesting lines to say -

Idhar Khuda hai
Udhar Khuda hai...
... jahan nahin Khuda hai
Wahan 'kal' Khud jaayega

A bad translation would be -

It's dug-up here
It's dug-up there
Where it isn't dug-up
It will be so tomorrow

But leaving aside the joke, this is surely a very interesting time to be in Delhi, as you get to see the future being constructed today. It's a major revolution and we are witness to it all.

We are seeing our world change and change (like in the latest CEAT ad) is here and healthy.

We are getting all the material for tales to narrate to the generations to come... Let's enjoy this change.

Cheers!

…or so the media has us all believe.

About two weeks ago, the Government of Delhi, India unveiled the much hyped Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), previously popular here as the High Capacity Bus Corridor (HCBS) and the construction for which had been on for the last few months. The little under 6 Km BRT stretch that is now completed and is being trial run came at the cost of some lives (accidental deaths) and at the reported cost of about 3,000 heritage trees of Delhi. The dedicated bus lanes invited mixed reaction from the public; with the car users complaining about having to spend more time on the road now than before and the bus riders being annoyed with the bus-stands being displaced to the middle of the road. Poor design and lack of coordination between different stake holders further worsened the situation. And as if all of that wasn’t enough, the media has taken on itself to narrate the “failure of BRT story” with much fervour.

The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Delhi is the brainchild of the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi’s Traffic Research and Injury Prevention Programme (TRIPP) and has been executed by RITES Ltd., a Govt. of India enterprise. The Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System (DIMTS) a “special purpose vehicle” set up by the Govt. is supervising the Project. Clearly then, the Project does not have a single master: probably leading to the mess. The BRT stretch now requires over 70 traffic marshals, 35 traffic policemen and 20 transport department officials for enforcement.

However, it is not just poor planning and lack of coordination that is leading to the mayhem on the corridor. The people using the corridor are to be equally blamed. While the authorities are trying their best to ensure people drive in the lanes meant for the type of vehicle they are using, motorists are violating every rule in the book. The cycle lane is the worst hit and sees more motorcycles, scooters and auto-taxis than cycles. The BRT needs a disciplined traffic to work best, and Delhi unfortunately does not relate much to the latter. Halting on the road to take a call, changing lanes without signaling, over-speeding and jumping signals isn’t something too uncommon in the city. In fact, it is this very discipline now required to maintain on the road, that has been irritating many.

Apparently, the media has initiated a “scrap BRT campaign” of its own! Ever since the first trial run, images and footage of cars waiting forever, motorcycles scattered around the signals, pedestrians not knowing where/how to go; have been put up on the front page/prime time by several media houses. What is unfortunate is that the media seems to have ignored the large number of people who have benefited from the launch of the BRT. While some 1.2 lakh people using their personal vehicles may facing problems and hating the BRT, more than double this number of people using buses have not complained. Rather, they have not been heard.

To gain some experience, I myself took a ride on the entire strecth of the BRT. It felt good, the journey was much speedier and the same bus that used to crawl on the road was at a speed that would not have ever been possible without the corridor. The new low floored buses that have been around for some time added to my pleasant experience. Minus the AC, the experience came pretty close to what it feels when one travels in the Delhi Metro!

Next day, I took my car on the same route, got stuck at all signals - with an empty lane on my left - that had buses zooming pass by me. Then, I realized why all the irritation, disgust and hatred was for!

By Govind Singh, New Delhi

Are all India’s 8 north-eastern states disturbed areas? Did you find something odd in the above news that the northeastern states have surpassed Jammu and Kashmir in insurgency-related violence and civilian casualties? Well, I did. First, I wondered why one state was compared to seven…or rather eight...

A blogging tag about some favourite things Nova and Suda both tagged me for this meme and well the way the tag is raging round, I guess I better do it before there is no one left to tag. In fact that has already happened I think…so here is my list…

The uniqueness of Goa captured in pictures A lot has been written about Goa and a lot of photos are out there. I thought I would share something different...I also thought I would use this opportunity to bust some myths of Goa...One is that Goa is conservative. As conservative as the rest of India...The Goa of the beachcombers, of the hippies who discovered Baga in the early 70s, of the rave parties, of paedophilia, of decadent hedonism is just a tiny strip of beach between...

Will we ever get used to seeing flesh? The brouhaha stirred up by the bare flesh and athletic dancing of the imported (mostly American) cheerleaders at the IPL matches is over. The politicians demanded that the girls cover up or quit and well, they’ve covered up. Two questions remain. Why so much fuss over the girls’ scanty clothes and relatively little over the fact that these girls were eve-teased and subjected to lewd remarks? And why were the people who made these remarks not hounded out of the stadium by security...

BRT in India - how great concepts can get ruined The skeletons are tumbling out of the closet now that the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) has fallen flat on its face in Delhi and is creating massive traffic jams. The concept is a great one but it has been pushed through in a hurry and implemented badly. The culprits people experts behind BRT are from IIT Delhi....The Delhi government was impressed because they were shown “a list of 80-odd countries where BRT has succeeded.” Surely they should have known that imported ideas need to be tailored to India?