Building the roadmap for large bus transport systems in India

New Delhi: On the sidelines of the Auto Expo 2008, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) held a conference session titled, National Consultation on Urban Bus-Based Transportation Solutions: Standards & Operations at the India Habitat Centre.

Experts at the meet called for the introduction of a greater number of modern buses, with level boarding and alighting facilities to encourage people to switch to public transport.
 
The session was aimed at bringing together officials, bus-makers and fleet operators to build a roadmap for urban bus transportation systems in India. While world-over, buses have been one of the mainstays of mass transport systems, in India their per-capita availability is still a major challenge.

Inaugurating the session, R. Devarajan,  president, Society for Automotive Fitness & Environment (SAFE) said that bus-based systems have been neglected in the country. But with newer technologies and increased availability of world-leading technology, India is at the cusp of developing highly successful urban mass transport systems.

M. Ramachandran, secretary, ministry of urban development, shed light on the present bus-system, highlighting its inability to match any international specifications and unavailability of a modern bus system. He said that while India's transport system had progressed with the launching of metro projects in all major metropolitan cities and Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) in eight satellite towns, there was a need to develop an efficient, eco-friendly and profitable bus system for all cities with a population above 0.5 million, he said.

He noted that the present seminar would finalise the minimum specifications for urban buses. He also discussed the steps taken by the ministry of finance, where it would provide tax subsidies and concessions to projects taken up on a public-private-partnership (PPP) mode, and thus enable execution of such projects at a much faster pace. (See: Modernisation of city buses on PPP model draft bus specifications sent to states)

Ramachandran said, ''Many Indian cities do not have any organised public transport system, even after 60 years of Independence. Only about 20 cities have some kind of urban city service.''

Calling for a complete overhauling and enhancement of fleet, he said the present city buses which are uncomfortable, unreliable and unfit for the disabled, should be replaced with ergonomically designed buses, having wider doors and windows with level boarding and alighting, comfortable seats and suspension and equipped with public address system and ITS-enabled and vehicle tracking systems."

He said the government is taking up the BRTS under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) as a cost-effective solution for providing high quality public transport service in urban areas. At present, BRTS is being taken up in eight cities, namely, Pune's Pimpri-Chinchwad belt, Ahemdabad, Indore, Bhopal, Vijayawada, Vishakhapatnam, Jaipur and Rajkot involving a length of 310km at a total cost of Rs2,740 crore. More such projects on public-private participation basis are needed to strengthen the public transport system in the country, he said. He said Delhi is also implementing BRTS as a state government funded project.

Providing details of London's bus network, the most comprehensive bus system in the world, Howard S Potter, director, Transportation Planning International, London, said bus use in London had increased 75 percent in the past 15 years while there has been an increase in car ownership from 48 per cent in 1971 to 65 per cent in 2001.

He said for success of a bus system, it needs to be politically backed, and enjoy the support from environmentalists too, apart from efficient management. He said segregation of vehicles on the road is a must and there should be dedicated lanes for buses.

Upendra Tripathy, managing director, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) speaking about the initiatives of said the corporation has introduced specialised services like daily and monthly passes and insurance policies, special services during peak hours and luxury Volvo buses (Vajra series), to entice people to opt for the bus.

I V Rao, chairman, executive director, Maruti Udyog, said that India's growth story had just begun. While a rise in disposable incomes has meant an increasing number of personal vehicles, the economy's upward thrust can only be sustained through investment in urban infrastructure, of which bus systems form a critical part, he said.

The remainder of the day saw technical sessions relating to technology solutions available for modern bus systems, relating to both features and fleet management.  Top experts from Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation shared facts and their views on planning bus systems for modern Indian cities of the future.