BRT won't be scrapped: Delhi government

NEW DELHI: Notwithstanding the Central Road Research Institute ( CRRI) criticising the BRT corridor in South Delhi, Delhi Government today resolved not to scrap it and hinted that it would undertake more such projects.

Delhi Chief Secretary P K Tripathi said government was determined to go ahead with the project as the BRT between Ambedkar Nagar and Delhi Gate has improved flow of bus transport.

Following a Delhi High Court directive, the CRRI carried out a study of the BRT corridor and opined that the corridor has not been effective in improving bus transport.

The Chief Secretary, however, said Delhi Government has the option of going to the Supreme Court on the issue.

The Delhi High court is holding hearing on the issue. Commenting on CRRI report, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit accused "certain sections" of politicising the issue and said government brought the BRT to serve commuters travelling by bus.

"Certain sections are politicising the issue. The BRT has been built to ensure a better public transport system," she said.

The Delhi High Court earlier this month has asked the city government to allow all vehicles to use the lane reserved for buses till its final order on a plea for opening BRT for all.

The court asked the Transport Department to continue with the arrangement made by the CRRI during the experimental trial run on BRT between May 12 and May 23 this year till it decides the issue after CRRI submits its final report on the trial run.

The bench had passed the order after a CRRI official, who was present in the court, told it that the traffic was smoother during the trial run.

The court's direction had come on a plea by Nyay Bhoomi, an NGO, for restoring the vehicle movement on the BRT corridor, which had been discontinued by the government after the CRRI's trial run allowing all vehicles to ply on the lane reserved for buses.