http://m.timesofindia.com/city/pune/PCMC-leading-in-implementation-of-sustainable-transport/articleshow/11213277.cms
The Times of India on Mobile
PUNE: Officer on special duty of the Union urban transport ministry S K Lohia said here on Thursday that the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is the leading city in the country in the field of implementation of sustainable urban transport project (SUTP).
Speaking at a dissemination workshop on SUTP organised by the PCMC and the Union ministry of urban development, Lohia said that although the PCMC was the last civic body to submit its proposal for constructing two Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridors on a 19-km stretch, it is leading in the implementation of the projects as compared to other cities in the country.
He further said, "Whatever was done in Delhi and Pune cannot be called BRTS. What one experiences in a metro railway should be also experienced in the BRTS to make it successful. A metro rail has features like level boarding and alighting, off board ticketing, passenger information system and other facilities. All these features need to be replicated in the BRTS."
Speaking about the benefits slot machines online of BRTS over the metro rail, Lohia said, "Replicating the metro experience in a bus is the basic characteristic of an urban transport project, though its execution may vary from city to city or country to country. We can do scaling of investment and capacity in a BRTS which is not possible in a metro rail. The BRTS is less expensive than the metro rail and can be implemented over a longer distance. Urban transport is crucial for the survival and growth of any city."
Municipal commissioner Ashish Sharma stressed on the need for flexibility in implementation of urban transport projects and that the suggestions of the implementing city should be considered. "Under SUTP, the municipal corporation is constructing two BRTS routes - Nashik Phata-Wakad and Kalewadi phata-Dehu Alandi road. These projects will be completed by the end of 2013."
Mayor Yogesh Behl said there is a need to strengthen public transport in the city. "We want people to use public transport for commuting instead of their private vehicles."
