Coimbatore :
If all goes well, Coimbatore will be the first city in Tamil Nadu to get a Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS). The final City Mobility Plan report submitted to the commissioner of municipal administration in Chennai on June 8 found that this system was feasible for Coimbatore.
The civic body is discussing the project with a government agency from Germany for funds. “We have sought 853crore for the first phase of BRTS and the delegation has responded positively. Soon after funds are allocated, the city corporation will lay a separate road for BRTS on Avinashi Road and Mettupalayam Road,” a senior corporation official said. Officials also plan to look at other avenues of funding including the World Bank.
To begin with 90 AC buses will be purchased to ply on the route. The BRTS envisages two dedicated lanes for buses to ply at high frequency. “As of now, more than 42% of residents use some form of public transport in the city. This will only increase in future. Thus, the ideal solution is BRTS,” the officer said.
The corporation had come up with the proposal to introduce BRTS, aimed at improving the public transport system and decongesting roads, last February. Soon after an announcement to this effect by former mayor SM Velusamy, commissionerate of municipal administration ordered a feasibility study by ICRA Management Consulting Services Limited.
Subsequently, ICRA picked Avinashi Road and Mettupalayam Road and conducted a detailed study. “The final city mobility plan was submitted a few days ago. We discussed the plan regarding the first phase, with officials in Chennai,” said the officer.
The civic body is now awaiting approval from the state government. Once the approval comes, the corporation will acquire land from Ukkadam to Thudiyalur on Mettupalayam road and from Ukkadam to Chinniyampalayam on Avinashi Road.
A few people are however skeptical about the project. “Mass Rapid Transport Systems have not yielded desired results in several cities in India. In Coimbatore, land acquisition poses a major hurdle. We need at least 30m of land along the entire stretch to implement BRTS. Besides, there are several connecting roads on either side of Avinashi and Mettupalayam Roads. The BRTS should not block these roads,” said D Nandakumar, president of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore chapter.
At a meeting called recently by collector Archana Patnaik and corporation commissioner K Vijayakarthikeyan with stakeholders to discuss the mobility plan, questions about land acquisition and compensation for land owners were raised. For now, the authorities seem confident that land acquisition would go smoothly.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / by A. Subburaj, TNN / June 12th, 2015