Pune News
Pune Civic Body Dismantles BRTS Routes as PMRDA Plans New Corridors
While the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) continues to dismantle its Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridors, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has proposed six new dedicated bus routes in its Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP). The plan, designed to address Pune’s traffic concerns until 2050, was presented by Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) managing director Shravan Hardikar last week in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The ambitious blueprint includes 163 km of new BRTS routes and a 276-km metro network, with an estimated budget of ₹1.26 lakh crore.
The proposed BRTS routes include Ravet to Rajgurunagar, Gawali Matha Chowk to Shewalewadi, Ravet to Talegaon Dabhade, Chandani Chowk to Hinjewadi, Loni Kalbhor to Kedgaon, and Bhumkar Chowk to Chinchwad Chowk.However, the proposal comes at a time when PMC has been actively dismantling operational BRTS corridors, such as Swargate to Hadapsar and Yerawada to Kharadi, citing inefficiency, public opposition, and political resistance. Harshad Abhyankar, from Save Pune Traffic Movements, questioned the feasibility of PMRDA’s BRTS vision amid PMC’s contradictory actions. “The Comprehensive Mobility Plan suggests BRTS, but will PMC implement it?” he asked, highlighting PMC’s failure to effectively manage its original 100-km BRTS network.
Former Deputy Mayor Siddharth Dhende argued that the BRTS system was efficient and prioritized public transport. However, due to a lack of public support and political opposition, the initiative was dismantled. A former PMC official stated that while the BRTS concept was strong, the system was never expanded due to resistance from citizens and elected representatives.With PMC dismantling BRTS corridors and PMRDA proposing new ones, the future of the system in Pune remains uncertain, especially on congested routes like Chandani Chowk to Hinjewadi. The question persists: can Pune effectively implement a sustainable BRTS system? Stay tuned to know more about it and others only with us.
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